Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken Breast

Hello friends!  Before I get to this yummy delicious recipe I just wanted to add that hopefully I'll be able to contribute a lot more recipes now that I have a little more free time on my hands.

I just finished the 21 Day Sugar Detox as well, and while I ate a lot of sweet potatoes which I don't think I was technically supposed too, I had nice results.  My favorite result being that it helped me (big time) to kick the sugar cravings.  Actually, the one thing I constantly want is in fact sweet potatoes not fruit.  I try to eat the sweet potatoes in moderation and then use fruit as my desert now.

There's another challenge going on at my gym now.  It's so much fun to see all the new faces around the gym and see others getting such awesome results! I love the camaraderie of our crew! I love people breaking outside the bounds of what they're used to as well.  Many struggle at first, especially if they're not used to cooking, but they all amaze me with their progress once they get over the initial hump.  I know, I know I sound like a mother hen... I'll cut the hallmark card short and give you what you really want!  SO, SO pleased with how this recipe turned out:

Spinach and Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken Breast

6 large chicken breasts or 12 small chicken breasts

12 pieces of nitrate free bacon

4 cups of spinach (roughly)

1 jar of roasted red peppers in water (no sugar added)

smoked paprika

dried oregano

6 garlic cloves minced (about 6 teaspoons)

pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  If you have large chicken breasts cut them in half length wise to thin them out.  Put your chicken breast in a ziplock bag and use a meat mallet to pound the breast out until it's nice and uniformly flat and about 1/4"ish thick.  If you're really cool, like me, and you don't have a meat mallet, then use the broad side of a hammer.  On one side of your chicken breast shake a light coating of oregano and smoked paprika, then flip it over and spoon on about 1/2 tsp of garlic- rub your spices in.  On top of the garlic add a tiny handful of spinach and 1 roasted red pepper.  Starting at the end you layed your red pepper, roll the chicken breast up into itself so that the pepper is at the center; nice and tight like a pumpkin roll.  Next secure your breast with a piece of bacon.  Repeat with all your breasts and throw them on a parchment paper or aluminum foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400F for roughly 35-45 min (everyones oven is different), until your bacon is a little brown and your chicken is no longer pink when you cut into it.  

After you are done make sure you wipe everything down with a clorox wipe including your spice jars. If you prefer you could also add a tablespoon of each spice to bowl, mix them together, and then use a spoon to shake a little on your chicken.