Pollo con Ricotta di Basil

Ughhhhhhhh…I feel gross!! Between Thanksgiving and a High School reunion I have been pigging out all weekend. This week I have something very special for you ; Pollo con Ricotta di Basil( chicken stuffed with a basil ricotta). It’s a very  simple ,fragrant, light Italian dish that  will cost you all of  $10.00 to make and serves 4!! These cheese stuffed
pockets of love are baked in the oven and then served over some lightly friend
eggplant and topped with a tangy tomato balsamic  salad .( If you are not
feeling the eggplant go with a fresh salad and use the tomato salad as your
dressing… or if you need a meal with a bit more of a substance you can always
serve with some simple bow tie pasta tossed with some olive oil and left over
basil..)

This is a dish I have served many
times when I have my friends over for dinner…the prep time is nothing!!!Also,
they can be made a day in advance!! So you can have them ready to cook the night
before and ready to throw in the oven just as the guests arrive! I would
recommend going to market basket for this dish… The basil , which can run you
2-3 dollars for a bunch can be bought for a mere 99cents as well as the ricotta
and eggplant both for 1-2 bucks! That can cut your costs down significantly. I
would pretty much recommend market basket for any ethnic recipe that requires
ingredients you may not have on hand. You can go into the Goya section and buy
spice packets for under a dollar and that’s better than 4-5 dollars for some
spices you may use  once or twice this year!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets

1 egg plant (sliced into 8-12 slices)

1 small container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 bunch basil

4 eggs (one for ricotta/3 for eggplant)

1 tsp garlic

2 cups dried bread crumbs Italian style

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

PREP(can be done the night
before)

1-In a food processor mix together egg, basil, garlic and  ricotta
cheese. Spoon about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each chicken
piece. Fold in long sides of chicken piece, then roll up from short end. Place
chicken rolls, seam side down into a baking dish. Cover with foil and
refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

2-Heat
oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then
in crumbs, and place in hot oil. Fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until
golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place on plate and wrap tightly until
needed)

3-Dice 1 large tomato place in bowl with sea salt and ground pepper to taste, and ¼ cup
balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp olive oil. Cover and chill
overnight.Before serving, bake, covered, in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes or
until no longer pink… Plate 2-3 egg plant slices on each plate then top with hot
chicken rolls and top with tomato salad.