Lunch: Cheesy Chicken Roulades with Pesto

Recipe by Kelly Senyei Transform ordinary chicken breasts into quick-fix chicken roulades stuffed with pesto and mozzarella cheese.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Chicken Breast, Nuts, Basil

Health and fertility benefits of Cheesy Chicken Roulades with Pesto

Skinless chicken breast is an excellent source of the protein, as its contains 21 grams of protein for every 100 grams of breast. Additionally, chicken contains ample amounts of vitamin B6, which serves a vital function in helping to reduce the stressors that cause PCOS. Vitamin B6 help keeps your hormones at balanced levels, which is very helpful for those seeking to stem the flow of excessive testosterone and androgen Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. Basil is an excellent stress reliever, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (See Kelly's Notes)
3 cups packed basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for sautéing
12 thin slices mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF.
Place one chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper and pound it with a meat tenderizer (or the bottom of a heavy skillet) until it is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
In a blender, combine the basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic and pine nuts. Pulse for 15 seconds, then with the blender running, stream in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the blender as needed and continue blending until the pesto is puréed. Taste and season the pesto with salt and pepper.
Spread one-fourth of the pesto on one side of each of the chicken breasts then top the pesto with three slices of mozzarella cheese per chicken breast. Beginning at the shorter end, tightly roll up each chicken breast and secure it with a toothpick. Season the outsides of the roulades with salt and pepper.
Heat two large oven-proof skillets over medium heat and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the roulades and sear them on all sides until they're browned. Transfer the pans into the preheated oven and bake the roulades until they are cooked throughout and reach an internal temperature of 165 ºF.
Remove the roulades from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes. Remove the toothpicks then slice and serve.
Kelly's Notes: Use chicken breasts that are at least 6 ounces in size, as once pounded thin, they'll provide enough surface area atop which to spread the pesto.
The tighter you roll your roulades, the more uniform of a spiral you'll create.

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