Pollo (PoYO) in Español is chicken. And I love that there are 10000s of recipes for chicken and you really can't screw it up. My husband loves chicken parm and I was nervous to figure out how to make it. Recipes can be intimidating like those intense work out classes you think you can never do, but once you are done it didn't seem that bad at all. So I dare you to make this simple recipe, because its DELISH!!

Ingredients: (makes 2)

• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt and Pepper for seasoning 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, if you want spice
• 1 cup of kale

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Prep the chicken:
Place knife at one end of the chicken breast, cut into the middle of the chicken breast and slice from one end to the other (almost all the way through, but not quite). Open up the chicken breast and season both sides. Spread the tomato paste on the lower half of each chicken and sprinkle pepper flakes (if you want spice). Spread the ricotta on top of the tomato paste. Place mozzarella on top of the tomato paste. Close the chicken (you can close with a toothpick if you want). But make sure the chicken is "stuffed". 

Place the chicken on the baking sheet and pour the marinara sauce over the chicken. Scatter kale around the chicken and sprinkle everything on the sheet with parmesan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Until the chicken is cooked through.

One of my FAVORITE dinner sides  is Brazilian cheese bread. It's gluten free and highly addicting. I use a brand found at WholeFoods called Brazi Bites. 

We have finally entered the winter months that consist of lots of cold, wet and gray days. This recipe I crave on a rainy day when all you want to do is curl up next to a fire. It's a big hit in my home and I'm sure it will be in yours.


Ingredients:

Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  
• Kosher salt
  
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced 
  
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
  
• 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes in their juices, preferably San Marzanos
  
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1/3 heavy cream
  
• 1 cup of basil
• Ground pepper 

Grilled Cheese

• GF bread of choice (I am loving breadsrsly sourdough right now, you can order it online here)
  
• Sharp Cheddar cheese. I use one slice of cheese for one piece of bread.

For the soup:
Heat and sauté onions, butter, salt and olive oil for 10 minutes or until soft. Pour can of tomatoes in with the onions and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the chicken broth. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then put in a blender and blend. Chop the basil into strips and add. Then add the cream.

Top with parmesan crips and basil. 


For the grilled cheese: 
Preheat a skillet on medium heat. Spread butter on both slices of bread and add to the skillet. Cook both sides of bread until they are a little brown. Then add cheese to both sides of bread and cook until melted. 

I also add a caesar salad (recipe to come) on the side if you're cooking this for dinner.