Recipe: Spinach Cherry Chicken

SPINACH CHERRY CHICKEN

4 large chicken breast halves, boned
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 lemon, peel only, chopped
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon margarine
Sherry Sauce: recipe follows

In small bowl, place sherry and dried cherries; set aside to soften. Place chicken between 2 pieces of wax paper and gently pound to flatten. In large frypan, place 2 tablespoons oil and heat to medium temperature. Add onion and garlic and saut about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook about 2 minutes more. Add spinach, walnuts and cherry mixture and cook until sherry has evaporated, about 3 minutes. In small bowl, mix together parsley, rosemary and lemon peel. On each chicken breast, skin side down, rub herb mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon a portion of spinach-cherry mixture in center of each breast; roll up, starting on long side and fasten with toothpicks. In separate frypan, place margarine and remaining oil over medium temperature. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes or until brown on all sides. Remove to greased casserole dish. Pour Sherry Sauce over chicken and bake in 350 F. oven about 30 minutes or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease. Place chicken on serving dish and spoon Sherry Sauce on top.

Makes 4 servings.

Sherry Sauce:
In frypan used to brown chicken, over medium heat, place 3/4 cup sherry and stir to mix with pan drippings. Bring to a boil and reduce to 1/2 cup. In small bowl, mix together until smooth, 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup hot water. Add mixture, stirring, to frypan and cook until thickened.

Source: National Chicken Council