My Favorite Dinner - Grilled Chicken with Basil Pesto Fettucini

Grilled Chicken With Basil Pesto Fettucini

Buttered Green Beans

Corn on the Cob 

I think this is my all-time favorite dinner. I love the way it looks on the plate, and it tastes amazing! I originally got the recipe from Candace, who, like many of my blogger friends, has a whole murder of recipes* up her sleeve!

My basil, as of yesterday, July 4, 2012

Basil Pesto, upper right

In a couple days, I will be making this for dinner (again), using my own homemade basil pesto. My basil, as you can see in the photo above, is finally amounting to something. I planted a lot of seeds in late May, watered them faithfully, and with this heat wave, the stuff is growing like crazy.

Grilled Chicken with Basil Pesto Fettucini, Recipe:

In a baking dish, sprinkle boneless chicken breasts with McCormick's Perfect Pinch Mediterranean Herb seasoning.

Poke holes in the chicken breasts and pour a generous amount of Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar over them.

Marinate at least 30 minutes. Half a day would be better. Grill chicken breasts until just done.

Cook fettucini (GF, as in Tinkyada brand). Drain. Add homemade basil pesto (recipe below) or Classico Traditional Basil Pesto to it. Also, add fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes and crushed red pepper to the pasta before serving.

Slice the chicken breast and serve on top of the pasta.


Basil Pesto Recipe:
From Simply Recipes: 

'Every year we plant basil and every year the plants do so well that we can't use it up fast enough. What to do? Basil pesto, of course! Here is a simple recipe. Note that pesto is always made to taste, based on the ingredients at hand. So adjust the ingredients to your taste. Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese, we often use Romano which has a stronger flavor. Most basil pesto recipes call for pine nuts but you can easily substitute walnuts.

If you want to freeze the pesto you make, omit the cheese (it doesn't freeze well). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each pocket with the pesto. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer bag. When you want to use, defrost and add in grated Parmesan or Romano.

    * 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
    * 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
    * 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    * 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
    * 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
    * Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Makes 1 cup.'

Have you seen the price of pine nuts lately???  I'm liking walnuts better all the time, although they've really gone up in price too. What to do.

* I think 'a murder of recipes' should be an apt term for many killer recipes.

It works for crows.

'Clover Blossom'

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Easiest Chicken Parmigiana

The ingredients shown below are among those I try to keep on hand at all times:
Parmesan cheese, black olives, Classico pasta sauce, onions, garlic, canned sliced mushrooms, canned chicken breast, Gluten-free pasta of some sort (in this case rotini), and mozzarella cheese.

I know, we all like really fresh ingredients, but this little group of canned goods is great to have on hand for those times when you get home, it's nearly time for dinner, and you know you're going to open that bag of chocolate chips if you can't come up with something pretty fast!

This is so simple, I'm sure it shouldn't qualify as a recipe. Then again, it's a couple levels up from plain old Mac'n'Cheese in a box!


Easiest Chicken Parmigiana:

Cook gluten-free rotini according to package directions. I like Tinkyada. It's my favorite.

Saute a chopped onion and minced garlic in a T. olive oil.

Place cooked, drained rotini in a large bowl. Add in the onion and garlic. Mix in drained canned chicken which has been broken up with a fork. Pour pasta sauce on top, add drained and sliced black olives, drained sliced mushrooms, and 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese. Stir carefully so that you can mix all the ingredients without breaking up the pasta.

Place half of the mixture into a baking dish that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Make a second layer with the remaining chicken/pasta mixture.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until bubbly at edges. Remove cover and sprinkle more shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Return to oven, uncovered, to melt the cheese and bring it to just slightly golden at the edges.

Serve with a green salad.

This is definitely comfort food.

Don't forget to enter my handcrafted soaps giveaway. It closes tomorrow at midnight and I will announce the winner on Thursday's post.


This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
and Tasty Tuesdays
and Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods
and Tuesdays at the Table 
and What's Cooking Wednesday
and Lisa's Gluten Free Food and Health Blog
and Fun with Food Friday
and Fat Camp Friday

Angela's 'Best Chicken...Ever!'

I happened to think ahead and cook up some black beans for this recipe. Angela and Rebecca served this for one of the main meals at our family reunion last summer, and it was delicious! Don't tell anyone, but it's also really easy, for you put the chicken in the crockpot for the day and walk away. I love recipes like this.

In Crockpot, place 4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

In a bowl, mix together:

2 T. olive oil

Juice of one fresh-squeezed lime

2 T. chili powder

         ( I make my own chili powder: 2 t. cumin, 1 t. paprika, 1 t. oregano flakes, 1 t. cayenne, 2 t. garlic powder)

Sea salt

1 diced jalapeno

5 minced garlic cloves (unless you've followed the chili powder recipe above. Then it might be a little too much garlic)

Drizzle mixture over the chicken breasts that are in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. When it's done, shred chicken with a fork. 

Shortly before mealtime, slice up a red bell pepper and a couple onions. Sometimes I will include a poblano pepper as well. Saute until translucent. Don't overcook.

Serve shredded chicken with black beans,  cooked rice (we like Basmati), peppers and onions, and guacamole.

This makes a nice buffet lunch. You might also want to have hot tortillas ready to make a wrap, and some shredded Mozzarella or Italian cheese in a bowl. Extra fresh-squeezed lime juice in a small pitcher would be a great addition as well.

Delicious!