Chicken with Ricotta and Roasted Asparagus

Ok, so we're sorry about not posting in a month, midterms have kept us from writing (though not from cooking!) But before schoolwork consumed us, though (and before Kelly gave up meat for Jesus) we made an excellent ricotta-herb stuffed chicken and roasted asparagus that we will write about here!

Though it's so easy, I find cooking meat a pain because it involves some forethought (buying it in advance to make it on a set date), which rarely ends up panning for me, and I am left with a chicken breast that I ultimately forget about, then have to throw out in a week or so. This time, though, the stars aligned and the two chicken breasts I bought (with skin and bones) were utilized only a day after purchase.

Ricotta and Herb Stuffed Chicken
as adopted from The Way We Cook by Julie and Sheryl Riven

Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta (we used part-skim to keep the fat down)
1/2 cup parmesan (we used sprinkle cheese we had in the fridge)
4 tbsp. dried herbs (we only have oregano, thyme, and basil, but you can use whatever tastes good together)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 chicken breasts with skin

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper in bowl. Mix well.

3. Separate the skin from the chicken but without ripping it off. Just slide your hand under the skin and it separates really easily. It's not as gross as it seems.

4. Stuff the cheese mixture under the skin, evening it out when possible.

5. Put the chicken breasts in a large baking dish, skin side up, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you like a crispy chicken, you can rub the outside down with a little olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, then serve.

Roasted Asparagus
I love asparagus because it's the easiest thing in the world to make, and you essentially cannot mess it up. This being said, I have no standards when it comes to asparagus: I like it cooked perfectly or with the tips burnt so they're crispy. Whatever way you like them, you should check them to make sure they're still bright green (that means they're still firm).

Ingredients:
Asparagus
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. Snap ends off of asparagus, they should break naturally right at the bottoms.

2. Lay asparagus on a baking tray, you can line the tray with tin foil so cleanup is easier.

3. Sprinkle with olive oil so asparagus are covered, though try not to drench them.
4. Bake in oven for around 10-15 minutes, turn them in the pan after 5 minutes so they don't burn on one side.
5. Serve!

We also made some couscous, just by cooking it in the pan with a little garlic and sauteed onions, but the meal would have been complete without it.

Enjoy!