Chicken and Asparagus Rolls

I hate it when dinnertime pops up, and I realize I don't have all the ingredients for the recipe that I had originally planned. At the start of every week, I make my grocery list and check over the recipes I am using to make sure I have all the ingredients either on hand or on my list. Sometimes, I overlook a key ingredient...depending on how distracted I am when I am making my list (i.e. if my kids are terrorizing me or not). Last night was one of those instances. I had a fish recipe ready to go, only to realize I forgot several items that were needed. Ugh. I turned to my trusty iphone and did a recipe search on my Martha Stewart Everyday Food app. Eureka! Chicken and Asparagus Rolls! Luckily, I bought some thin, early-season, asparagus at the store on a whim; so I was able to just thaw some chicken and pull this dish together pretty quickly. Dinnertime was saved...and I found an easy and delicious recipe in a pinch!

Chicken and Asparagus Rolls
From: the Everyday Food iphone app (also available: Everyday Food, July/August 2003 issue via marthastewart.com)

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (8 slices)
8 spears asparagus, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then crosswise

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife, split each chicken breast in half horizontally, then pound between two pieces of plastic wrap until about 3/8 inch thick (you should have 8 flattened pieces). Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

2.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, saute chicken breasts and garlic until chicken is light brown on one side only, about 2 minutes; discard garlic.

3.Transfer chicken to a baking sheet, browned side down. Sprinkle chicken pieces with half the cheese; layer each with a tomato slice and 4 asparagus pieces. Roll up; secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle remaining cheese over rolls; bake until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove toothpicks. Serve hot.

The Result:
My camera battery is still on the charger...so again, no pic. Hopefully, I will have my act together by my next post.

This was really tasty, and so easy to put together. Like I said, I had everything on hand. My asparagus was really thin, so I just trimmed the ends and used whole pieces. I loved how simple and flavorful this chicken was, with so few ingredients. We served our rolls with the rest of the asparagus bunch, (simply roasted with salt, pepper, and olive oil) and a side of brown rice pilaf. Martha does it again!