Easy oven baked pesto chicken breasts

December 29, 2011February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is a recipe from “Kalyn’s Kitchen” food blog which I tried one evening when I didn’t really feel like cooking. It was so delicious I decided to post it.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper for seasoning the chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 oz (1/2 cup) grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Trim all visible fat and tendons from the chicken pieces, then cut each breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. (I cut the larger ones into 3 and the smaller ones into 2 strips)

Spray a 9″ x 12″ baking dish with non stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup of basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. lay the chicken strips over the pesto then spread 1/4 cup more pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, just until the chicken is barely firm and cooked through. Don’t over cook at this point or the dish will be very overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.

When the chicken is barely cooked through, remove the foil and sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese then 1/2 cup grated mozzarella. Put dish back in the oven without the foil and cook 5 more minutes or just until the cheese has melted. At this point it is nice to put under the broiler to get a nice color on the cheese.

Serve hot. There will be great and flavorful juice in the bottom of the dish so you may want rice, couscous, ciabatta bread or quinoa to soak up the juice.

My brown rice salad with two sesame flavors

October 8, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

This has a wonderful nutty flavor and is very moreish.

1 cup (at least) uncooked long or short grain brown rice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 cup peeled and coarsely shredded carrots
A good handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 cup thinly sliced trimmed scallions
1/2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and let stand, uncovered until cooled.

Whisk the oil, lemon juice and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the cooked, cooled rice, carrots and scallions and cilantro. Toss to blend and season if necessary.

Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and sesame seeds, toss once and serve

Fish · Pasta

Shrimp, lemon pepper linguini

September 3, 2011February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is so comforting, light and tangy with the lemony wine /shrimp mixture.

Serves 4

1 8oz package linguini
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
salt to taste
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the linguini, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in the chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by 1/2.

Mix the shrimp, butter, parsley and basil into the saucepan.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguini, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Thai chicken, cucumber and coconut salad (CleanCuisine)

August 28, 2011February 8, 2016 Belinda

I made this last night and we were blown away by the flavors. It’s light, healthy and full of flavor!
You can buy palm sugar in Asian supermarkets like “99 Ranch” (in Los Angeles)

Serves 4

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
165 mls coconut milk
40 grams palm sugar, (shave it off with a knife) or if you can’t find any, demerara sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 large English cucumber
2 long sweet red chillies, thinly sliced (I noticed that Trader Joes has these)
small bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
1 good sized thai shallot or regular shallot, finely sliced
50 grams roasted peanuts. crushed

Put the chicken between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin or heavy pan to flatten a little so it is all the same thickness.

Put the coconut milk, palm sugar and fish sauce in a wide, shallow pan. Add the chicken to the cold liquid then gently bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool in the liquid, turning it a couple of times.

Using a vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber into long thin ribbons.

Take the chicken from the poaching liquid and slice as thinly as possible, then mix all the ingredients except the roasted, crushed peanuts.
Serve drizzled with some of the cool poaching liquid and sprinkle with the peanuts.

It’s SO delicious!

Do-ahead · Nuts · Pasta · Sauces · Vegetarian pasta

Pesto a la Arriabiata sauce

August 23, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

We are going out for dinner tonight to some vegetarian friends and I didn’t just want to take wine, so was wondering what I could make with whatever I had in the house that only took 30 minutes.
Looking outside on the table, I noticed the three full basil plants we bought at Trader Joes.
“Ahh, pesto sauce”, I thought, “but how could I make it different”?

My husband came into the kitchen while I was throwing stuff into the processor and after I made it, pronounced it “lovely” so that was the seal I needed.

1 whole (full-leaved) Trader Joes basil plant stripped completely and the leaves washed and spun in the salad spinner.
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmegiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 tsp dried red chilli flakes
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp drained capers
1/2 heaped cup pitted kalamata olives
6 sun dried tomatoes (in oil)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 lemon, juice only

(cream added can make it more luxurious!)

Start by putting all the basil into a food processor and turn it on. Through the tube in the top, put the garlic, chilli flakes, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, capers,sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, lemon juice, olives and anything else you may have forgotten.
Puree for a few minutes, then taste and add more seasoning if it needs it.
Pour into a lovely glass jar with a lid and you have a great pasta sauce, or a base for crunchy, toasted bruschetta, or a base for many seafood dishes. It’s lovely as a dip for grilled shrimp, a coating on a piece of white fish, or even added to a soup as a dollop in the middle of the bowl just as you serve it, as in “pistou”.

There are endless ways to use it and it lasts a long time, including freezes well.
The Trader Joes basil plants are the most economical way to make pesto based sauces if you don’t grow basil. Unforunately we are having a battle with the garden snails and they claimed this year’s basil!

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Nuts

Caramel Salmon with Lime (CleanCuisine)

August 23, 2011February 11, 2016 Belinda

This is an unbeatable salad combination of Thai tastes, c/o Jill Duplex, a wonderful Australian cookery book writer. The flavors in this dish are chilli, cilantro, mint, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce, all perfect for a piece of delicate, rich salmon.
A really innovative, tasty, complex salad dish for either a main course or a starter.

Serves 4

4 thick salmon fillets, skinned (choose wild salmon, if possible)
200 grams bean sprouts
2 tbsps vegetable oil
50 grams fresh mint leaves, left whole
25 grams cilantro leaves, left whole
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsps salted or dry roasted peanuts, crushed coarsely
1 lime, quartered

Sauce
100 grams soft brown sugar
125 mls water
1 red chilli, finely sliced
3 cm knob of fresh ginger, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
4 tbsps Thai fish sauce
4 tbsps fresh lime juice

To make the sauce, use the ingredients in the “sauce” list only. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring.
Add the chilli, ginger and garlic and let it bubble away to reduce (but do not boil over!) for 4 – 5 minutes until quite syrupy.
Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce and the lime juice.

Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces, about 3cm square and coat lightly in the caramel sauce.
Pour a jug of boiling water over the bean sprouts then drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the salmon quickly until caramelized, keeping the inside pink.

Combine the salmon, mint, coriander, scallions and bean sprouts in a bowl and toss well.
Strain the sauce and keep warm, if necessary, reheat.
Arrange on warmed dinner plates, spoon the warm sauce over the top and scatter with peanuts.

Serve with the lime wedges and plenty of steamed rice.

Gluten Free · Grains

Leek, spinach and dill weed pilaf

August 21, 2011February 8, 2016 Belinda

I serve this with the “Mediterranean Fish Dish” and countless other dishes, as the leeks give such a wonderful flavor through the rice. A lot of people don’t like leeks, but you won’t even know what they are by the time you’ve finished the dish!

Serves 4

4 good sized leeks, rinsed and chopped lengthways, then across in 1/2 inch slices.
Butter
8 oz washed baby spinach
1 good tbsp dried dill weed.
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup long grain rice

Saute the leeks in a good knob of butter and add the dill weed. When they are soft, add the rice and stir, coating well with the leeks and butter, season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and spinach, bring to the boil, stir well and turn down to low. Cover and cook with the lid on following the cooking time on your rice packet. (Usually 20 minutes)
When ready, give a stir and serve.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides

Mashed rosemary white beans

August 20, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is lovely as a replacement for mashed potatoes, especially with lamb.

2 (15 oz) cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 -3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
a few sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1/3 to 1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil, garlic and rosemary over medium – low heat. Saute till fragrant.
Add the beans and chicken stock.
Increase the heat to medium and stir the beans.
Continue to stir until the beans begin to soften, approximately 8 minutes.
Using a potato masher, mash the beans until they reach the desired consistency.
Add the salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
(I used a bit of cream at the end to make it even silkier and it worked a treat!)