Stuffed Chicken, take 1

We went out to dinner for my birthday and shared a steak thus, I wanted to make something 'lighter' and use up a few of the veggie-box items I had left over from last week's delivery PLUS play with the goodies I came home with from Seattle.

Every time I go to Seattle I go by Sotto Voce to pick up another bottle of their spicy  balsamic vinegar.  'Cuz it's SO GOOD!  I usually go for their Basil Olive Oil but since I went on a business trip by myself, The Chief Mess-Cleaner-Upper requested their Mushroom Olive Oil.  I had no choice but to comply since he was left behind to ensure the proper installation of new carpet... Mushroom Olive Oil it is...

None-the-less, steak for dinner, eating out on a field trip and a veggie box that had to be utilized and I have yet another dinner challenge on my hands.

It had to be chicken. I had spinach. I wanted to use some of the Mushroom Olive Oil.  Dinner drifted towards some version of spinach stuffed chicken.  Stuffing chicken is kind of a pain but it's always worth it.

I ended up with...

Spinach Stuffed Chicken, Take 1

Chicken Stuffing

1/2 small onion,  chopped
1 teaspoon mushroom olive oil
Pinch each, salt n' peppa
2 bunches or @ 2 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, chopped
Pinch (1/4 teaspoon or less) chili flakes

Heat Olive oil in medium, oven proof pan.  Saute onions until soft.  Add a pinch of salt, pepper, chili flakes and spinach.  Toss spinach and cook until bright green and just barely pliable. You don't want to cook all the good stuff out of it before you get it into the chicken.

Chicken

1 large chicken breast, cut in half, horizontally, pounded thin
2 slices of Provolone Cheese
10 toothpicks
1-2 teaspoons mushroom olive oil (or whatever olive oil you have)
Pre-heat oven to 425.
Slice chicken in half, horizontally.  Pound each chicken breast flat.  Cut each slice of cheese in half, lay on to chicken breast.  Layer cooled spinach mixture over cheese, roll up chicken breast, toothpick in place. Heat olive oil in an oven proof pan, seam/toothpick side down.  Let chicken brown for 3-5 minutes, turn breasts and repeat until most sides have some color. On the last side, place pan in oven and let roast for 10 minutes. 
After 10 minutes, remove pan from oven and remove chicken from pan. Set aside to cool. After chicken has cooled 4-5 minutes, remove toothpicks and slice chicken into 1/2 inch slices so you can see all the cheesy spinach goodness inside.

I served with a simple green salad and some Italian pugelese bread, sliced with a little dipping bowl for the mushroom olive oil.