The Wheat Belly Revolution...Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Spinach And Brie

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This is a reprint of the earlier post titled Spinach And Brie Chicken Breasts With Yellow Rice And Pimentos which I messed up when posting.  The comments were also erased when reposting.  My apologies.

If you live in the United States you have probably heard of Wheat Belly, the new "diet" bestseller that is taking the country by storm.  In his book, William Davis MD,  a renowned cardiologist,explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems.

  After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat"and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.

Although I found the information to be very educational, well researched and most useful,  I found the book a bit boring and repetitive. Notwithstanding, what I found really alarming was how predominant this new genetically altered "wheat" is in everything we eat.  Just for that alone you should pick up a copy and read it.

Even before finishing the book, I decided to eliminate wheat for a few days and sure enough, after just a couple of  days, I noticed my belly had receded a bit and I felt "lighter".  It wasn't til Sunday night after I cheated with a couple of slices of my homemade pizza that I awoke in the middle of the night with the acid reflux that has been plaguing me for awhile.  If you have had these before you know how scary they can be! Hmmm....

Since I really could use losing a few pounds and bathing suit time is just around the corner, I have made a pact with my cleaning lady to follow this regimen for a few weeks.  We both weighed ourselves (after lunch and with our clothes on!), joted it down and hid it somewhere safe.  We swore each other to secrecy on the penalty of her never coming back to clean my house, which, now that I think of it,  is worse for me than it is for her.

That doesn't mean that this will now become a wheat free cooking blog.  Au contraire.  There are many recipes that we all enjoy and that are wheat free.  It also doesn't mean that if you decide to follow Dr. Davis' advice you can never have wheat again, just occasionally and in moderation, something we American just don't know how to do.  Let's just say we will eat more like the Europeans or Asians and won't think about pie until peach season! 

Tonight we had a delightful dinner, completely wheat free,  made by my daughter and adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart.  Instead of the orzo that accompanies the dish, I made yellow rice with onions, parsley and pimentos.  As I am writing this, I can tell you I feel full and satisfied, although I'm having a tough time fighting a craving for a bowl of ice cream!

Luckily the next couple of recipes that were already planned for the blog are also wheat free.  And summer is coming...lots of stuff on the grill and fresh vegetables to accompany.  And, if all fails, we can always move to Europe where this genetically engineered stuff is simply banned!

By the way, let me know what you think of the book if you have read it... My son who suggested the book and looks like a movie star says the regimen is so easy it's almost like cheating.

The following recipe has been adapted and perfected by my daughter.  The addition of the bacon is her idea and improves the recipe by a mile.  We have also substituted the yellow rice for the orzo originally in the recipe and not allowed in a wheat free diet.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Spinach And Brie Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Yellow Rice And Pimentos

Adapted from Everyday Food, May 2008

 Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes
Yield Serves 4

.
Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 thin chicken cutlets (1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 package (10 ounces) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 8 slices
8 slices of bacon

1 cup white rice
1 TB butter
2 TB minced fresh onions
1 1/2 cups organic chicken stock
1/2 small can pimentos
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Dividing evenly, spread one side of each cutlet with mustard; top with spinach, then cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Starting at short end, roll chicken up tightly.  Wrap a bacon slice or two around each and secure with a toothpick.   Arrange, seam side down, on sheet.

2. Season rolled chicken with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until tops are lightly browned and chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

For the rice:

3.Saute the onions in the butter until translucent.  Add the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Add the rice and stir with a fork.  Cover and cook until rice is done.  Add the pimentos with a little of their juice,  the parsley and stir, again with a fork.  Cover for about a minute or two.  When ready to serve, uncover, give another quick stir and serve together with the chicken.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart