Tomato Stuffed Blackened Chicken

Some nights when you get home, all you want is to make a quick and easy dinner, without too much fuss or clean up; but just because you don't want it to take too much time, doesn't mean you don't want it to be tasty!

One of my favourite meals to cook when I don't feel like spending hours in the kitchen is Tomato Stuffed Blackened Chicken.

First chop to table in about 30 minutes, I generally serve this dish with some rice and a cooked vegetable or salad, and the chicken is cooked entirely on the stove top.

With a spiced and tasty coating, juicy chicken, and a Caprese-inspired filler, this dish is perfect for busy nights when you're craving something delicious!

Tomato Stuffed Blackened Chicken (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (thawed and butterflied)
• dash of flour
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 tbsp basil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1) Dice your tomato and garlic, then combine in a bowl with basil and set aside. If the tomatoes are particularly juicy, you can add a tbsp of bread crumbs to thicken it up a bit.

2) In a second bowl, mix together your olive oil and spices. adjusting to taste. Most important ingredient is your paprika!

3) Butterfly your chicken breasts then coat the outside in a dash of flour. Fill the inside with your tomato mixture and close back up. 

4) Coat the outside of your chicken in your oil-and-spice mixture, then cook in a small pan on stove over high heat, rotating every 2-3 minutes. If you want to blacken the outside a bit more, add some dried paprika to each side before cooking.

5) When the chicken is cooked almost all the way through, lower the heat to medium and cover the pan with a pot lid, flipping occasionally and letting the chicken cook through. Serve warm as soon as it's ready!