Chicken with Goat Cheese and Arugula

A girlfriend of mine sent me this recipe a few days ago and I was struck by the simple recipe that looked like a lot of effort.  Fittingly, the recipe is from SimplyRecipes.com. I decided that I must make it and post it without delay.  The hubs and I are gearing up for a big move next weekend... we found our house and have closed escrow.  So, in all likelihood, the pans will be packed this weekend and we'll be all about takeout for a couple of weeks.  I'll try to not take too long an absence.

Anyway, so here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
4 Chicken breasts, tenders removed, breasts pounded thin
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 handfuls arugula (about 4 oz.)
4 oz. soft goat cheese, broken into small pieces
1 - 2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

When shopping for this meal, I saw a goat cheese with kalamata olives and thought that sounded so delicious and a perfect compliment to the Mediterranean vibe I was feeling with this meal.  I also had the butcher prepare the pounded breasts for me.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425.  Pound breasts thin to make them thin enough for rolling.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Lay chicken flat, smooth side down.  Layer with arugula leaves and pieces of goat cheese in the center.  Starting with the narrowest end, roll up the chicken into a tight roulade and seal with toothpicks.

Heat the oil on medium-high in a large oven-proof skillet.  Brown roulades on all sides.

Place the skillet in the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and cover the pot with a lid or foil and let rest for 5 mintues.  Remove the toothpicks from the chicken and slice the roulades into rounds to serve.

I used the arugula again to make a yummy side salad accompainiment with hearts of palm, artichoke hearts and toasted pine nuts.