Living on Cloud Nine: Chicken Saltimboca

I really love Italian cooking. However, I do not like a lot of pasta or a heavy-laden cream sauce and often get tired of the red sauce. One of my cooking idols is Gianna De Laurentiis and I had the pleasure of seeing her in person on the Today Show several years ago. This recipe is derived from an episode of her show Everyday Italian. I love the flavor of the prosciutto with the chicken and the reduced cooking liquid adds just the right touch for this dish. This is a delightful low carb and another recipe that is almost better the next day.

What you'll need

Chicken Saltimboca

INGREDIENTS

6 thin chicken cutlets pounded thin and flat

1 cup light zesty Italian dressing

6 thin slices of prosciutto

1 (10 oz) box of frozen spinach, thawed

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

1 (14 oz) can of low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons of lemon juice, either bottled or fresh

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place all the chicken cutlets in a shallow dish and pour the Italian dressing on top. Place dish in refrigerator and marinate the chicken for at least an hour or you can even marinate it overnight. When ready to begin a chicken assembly, place the chicken cutlets on a cutting board or work surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lay one slice of prosciutto on each chicken cutlet. In a small bowl, squeeze the thawed spinach to remove any excess water. Season the meats with salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil. Arrange an even layer of spinach a top each prosciutto slices. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over each beginning at the short tapered end of the chicken & roll up each cutlet like a jelly roll and secure with a toothpick. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown about two minutes on each side. Add in the chicken broth and the lemon juice. Bring that liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the liquid over high heat until until it is reduced to about 2/3 of a cup, about five minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper. Remove the toothpicks from the chicken and drizzle the cooking liquid over the chicken. Serve immediately or is delicious cold the next day as well.