Chicken Cordon Bleu

So I haven't posted in a while because I have to be honest 1. I haven't tried very many new reicipes since Thanksgiving and 2. the ones I have tried haven't been all that great. But this one was definetly a winner. Eli said it was the best I have made in a while.

Prep Time:10 Min
Cook Time:35 Min
Ready In:45 Min
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham

1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. (I used a hammer since we are lacking a meat tenderizer). Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Bath chicken in egg wash. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. (I went to the deli and got four slices of each from the deli) Roll up each breast, roll in bread crumbs, and secure with a toothpick. Bake for 20 minutes with foil covering, take off foil and bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately with rice and sauce (1 can cream of chicken, 1/2 cup sour cream, lemon juice).

*if you need a visual go to youtube and "how to make chicken cordon bleu" and there are some videos on how to wrap it etc.

Spinach salad

Studying for the NCLEX has made me realize that the answer to all nutrition questions is "green leafy vegetables." Therefore, we made a New Year's commitment to eat more spinach. This is my new favorite salad. (who knew making dressing was so easy!)

Serving size 6

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 bunch spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese(I use feta)
2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing

2 tablespoons red raspberry jam (with seeds)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup walnut oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Arrange walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in oven for 3-5 minutes, or until nuts begin to brown.
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and red onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together jam, vinegar, walnut oil, pepper, and salt. Pour over the salad just before serving, and toss to coat.