Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

INGREDIENTS
2 small chicken breasts (6oz/180g), boneless and skinless
½ cup sun dried tomato, cut into strips (oil packed. Use enough to cover the chicken)
4 slices mozzarella cheese (or other melting cheese of choice)
Handful of spinach leaves
2 tsp olive oil

Italian Dressing
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
½ tsp sugar (any)
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp EACH Italian mixed her and red pepper flakes (Note 1)
Salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Whisk together the Italian Dressing ingredients in a bowl. It will be thicker than salad dressing.
3. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast, taking care not to cut all the way though.
4. Coat the chicken (inside and out) with the Italian Dressing.
5. Place chicken on work surface. Stuff with sun dried tomato, top with cheese then finish with spinach leaves. Just stuff in as much as you can.
6. Seal with toothpicks (just stick them in on the diagonal - see photo in post).
7. Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook for 1½ minutes on each side, or until golden.
8. Transfer to oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and chicken is cooked through. Rest for 3 minutes before serving, drizzled with the juices in the skillet.

NOTES
1. Use whatever dried herbs you have - thyme, oregano, parsley, basil.

2. Typically, a 6oz/180g chicken breast (which is a small chicken breast) will take 25 minutes to roast at 180C/350F. This recipe takes less time to roast because: a) it is started on the stove; and b) because the breast is stuffed, it cooks a bit from the inside because the stuffing is not as dense as chicken flesh.

Roasting times for different chicken breast sizes (2 - 4 breasts, for more, add a few minutes) at 180C/350F:
Small 6oz/180g - 15 minutes
Medium 7 oz / 210g - 18 minutes
Large 8oz/250g - 20 minutes

3. Other ideas for stuffing: Spinach (thawed frozen spinach, excess water squeezed out), ricotta, feta, olives, other pickled / marinated vegetables, fresh herbs, bacon (of course).

4. Slightly adapted from this Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach and Cheese Chicken by Yammie's Noshery.

5. Nutrition is per serving, for a whole 6oz/180g chicken breast per person. If you use chicken breast much larger than this, each chicken breast can serve 2 people.