Chicken Pinwheels
Yield: 4 Pinwheels
Time: 24 hours
Special equipment: Food Processor
4 Chicken Breasts
3-4 carrots
2 lg stalks of celery
½ med onion
2 tbsp minced garlic packed in water
½ cup rosemary leaves, loosely packed
2 cups fresh spinach
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil or canola oil
Thaw chicken breasts and place them on a flat cutting board. Laying your hand on top, very flat, slice the chicken breast in half, crossways, but not all the way. This will then allow you to open the breast like a book and lay it out in a long thin surface. Place the breast into a gallon Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin or mallet, flatten the breast a little further. You don’t have to get it paper thin.
For the pesto:
In a food processor place: Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pecans, spinach and rosemary. Process until everything is minced well. Add the parmesan cheese. Then, turn the processor on and dribble oil into the tube until a paste forms. This should use around a ¼ cup of oil.
Salt and pepper to taste. Remember that pesto should have a strong flavor.
Lightly salt the flattened chicken breasts and divide the pesto between them. Spread the pesto across each breast evenly and roll them up into a tube shape.
Place some plastic wrap onto the counter and place the chicken on top. Wrap the plastic around the chicken and pull it tight. Twist the ends so that the plastic is tight around the chicken.
Place all the rolled chicken into the refrigerator overnight.
After 20-24 hours in the fridge, they are ready to cook.
Put oil into an oven safe skillet, like cast iron. Heat the skillet and brown each chicken breast on all sides. Then put the entire pan with the chicken breasts into the oven at 350° for 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 170° – 180° internal temperature. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.