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Time to Catch Up...Chicken Pesto Presto




Ever do nothing...just absolutely nothing you know you should be doing? Prime example....me laying on the couch with my monkey (Vixen) watching Lifetime Movie Network and ignoring the pile of laundry, the empty pantry and the dust collecting on the the furniture...The next day I have to play catch up...cleaning, errands, the norm...Well, it's time for me to do just that...Catch up! Basically, I am going to post a bunch at once!

Chicken Pesto Presto - cute name huh? (Thanks RR)
This is a really yummy meal and so easy and quite healthy. It reminds me of the chicken my mom always gets at our favorite family restaurant, Arpeggio. So start with chicken breasts. Butterfly them so they look like you are opening a book. Sprinkle with S&P. Put a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add salt. In a food processor combine basil, garlic, parm cheese, S&P, garlic and some lemon zest. Steam in some EVOO. Voila - you made a pesto, minus the pine nuts. For me, they were too hard to find and when I finally found them said, "Seriously? $7.99 for this? NOPE, gonna go buy some girl scout cookies..."
Fill the chicken with your pesto mixture and close the book (chicken.) Add sliced tomatoes and some parm cheese (for presentation) to the top. Put in the oven at 425 for about 30 mins. While the chicken is cooking add pasta, I used whole wheat ziti to the boiling water. In a sautee pan add some EVOO and garlic. Then add some cherry tomatoes. Wait for them to pop. Its quite fun to watch. Add some S&P. Then once the pasta is done, toss in the tomato mixture. Add basil and a bit more EVOO.
Remove the chicken from the oven and PRESTO! Dinner is served!
The most annoying part, but I am coming to grips with is the food processor. I don't mind chopping and dropping :-) but having to get the processor out and plugging it in and bla bla bla is too much. I guess it's the price you pay to have a good meal!

The verdict of this was GOOD! Greg really liked it. He isn't a big chicken guy and chicken parm tends to be more calories and fattening. This is one for the books!

Enjoy!

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