Easy Pesto Chicken

If you buy the pesto already made, this is sure to be the easiest dinner you make this week. Unless of course you consider taking a Big Mac and fries out of the bag and arranging them on the plate making dinner. Then this is a huge hassle.

  

EASY PESTO CHICKEN

Yield: 4 servings

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

3/4 cup homemade basil pesto (or store-bought)

2 -3 plum tomatoes, sliced (optional)

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1.      Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty foil.

2.      Place chicken on the baking sheet and coat each piece with about 3 tablespoons pesto.

3.      Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

4.      Remove from oven; top with tomatoes and cheese.

5.      Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

slightly adapted from food.com (submitted by Tish)

raw chicken breasts with pesto

baked

adding sliced tomatoes

sprinkling mozzarella on top

cheese melted

baked pesto chicken

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Stuffed Shells with Feta and Herbs

Maybe it's a little strange to put feta cheese in stuffed shells, but trust me, it works. It adds a very nice tang to the mellow ricotta cheese. And the homemade sauce and herbs add a nice freshness. Plus it's great for serving to mixed company. And by mixed, I mean kids and adults (we've been having co-ed dinners at my house for years now - it's getting so it's practically normal).

STUFFED SHELLS WITH FETA AND HERBS

Yield: 6-8 servings

Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 (28 oz.) cans crushed Italian plum tomatoes, with juices

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh basil

Filling:

2 (15 oz.) containers ricotta cheese

14 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (plus optional basil sprigs for garnish)

2 bunches fresh chives, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1 (12 oz.) package jumbo pasta shells

Sauce:

1.      Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden. Add garlic, crushed red pepper and oregano and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in basil. (Best if prepared 1 day ahead; cover and chill.)

Filling:

2.      Combine ricotta, 1 1/3 cups of the feta, basil, chives and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.

3.      Cook shells in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly.

4.      Preheat oven 350° F.

5.      Spread 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of each of two 13- x 9-inch glass baking dishes. Fill all the shells and divide between dishes. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining feta. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking.)

6.      Bake shells until heated through, about 30 minutes. Garnish with basil sprigs if desired.

adapted from Bon Appétit, March 1993

adding red pepper flakes to the cooked onions

garlic and oregano mixed in too

mixing in the crushed tomatoes

basil leaves

sauce reduced; mixing in the chopped basil

sauce ready

feta cheese

chives

all the filling ingredients

filling mixed

cooked pasta shells draining

sauce spread on the bottom of the pan

I decided at the last minute to get out the old thunderstick
(the immersion blender) and zhush the sauce. This step isn't
necessary unless you have a six-year-old who flatly rejects
anything once she makes out a piece of onion.

filling a shell

stuffed shells

I probably should have spread them out more. In the
end I didn't need two 13" x 9" dishes. My second dish was
smaller. I also wasn't sure whether I wanted them face up or down,
so I made this dish face up and the smaller one face down.

the smaller, face down dish

spooning sauce over the top

sprinkling with feta

ready to bake

baked

I think face down probably does look nicer. But it doesn't really matter.

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Fried Green Tomatoes with Basil Mayonnaise

I've wanted to make these ever since I first saw Fried Green Tomatoes. It's a good movie...if you've never seen it, you should order it from Netflix or Qwikster or whatever their name is now. Which reminds me, I know a lot of people aren't happy about that, but honestly, I'm more upset about the stupid name than the fact that Netflix is splintering the company into two separate services. Clearly it should be called Qwikflix. It's so obvious. It's not my "ster" that I'm looking to get in a hurry. And don't even get me started on how they spell quick. (Is their CEO in kindergarten?) But I digress.

Back to the recipe. These are made with green, unripe tomatoes. They're firmer than the red ones and not as sweet. The tart flavor is really nice with the crunchy panko/corn meal crust and the basil mayonnaise is the perfect accompaniment to brighten it up. So fresh and tasty. One bite and you'll swear you're kicking back at the Whistle Stop Cafe with Ruth and Idgie (but with less racism & murder and more air conditioning).

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH BASIL MAYONNAISE

6 servings

Basil Mayonnaise:

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Creole mustard

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fried Green Tomatoes:

6 hard green tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

dash hot sauce

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 cups Japanese panko bread crumbs

vegetable oil, for frying

Basil Mayonnaise:

Pulse the basil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard in a food processor until smooth, then transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead (cover and refrigerate).

Green Tomatoes:

1.      Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a plate. Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow bowl or a pie tin. Whisk together the cornmeal and panko bread crumbs in a separate pie tin.

2.      Working with one green-tomato slice at a time, coat the tomato first in flour (knocking off excess), then in the buttermilk, then finally in the cornmeal— bread crumb mixture. Transfer the breaded slice to a baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining slices. Preheat the oven to 200° F. Line a second baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 3/4 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet to 350° F.

3.      Working in batches, fry the tomato slices until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked tomatoes to the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep the cooked tomatoes in the warm oven while you fry the remaining slices. Serve the tomatoes warm, with a generous dollop of basil mayonnaise.

from Epicurious, April 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely (Down Home with the Neelys)

basil

squeezing in the lemon juice

all the basil mayo ingredients

basil mayonnaise

beautiful green tomatoes

my dipping station

dipping in flour

dipping in buttermilk/hot sauce

coating with panko/corn meal

coated

ready to fry

frying

fried green tomato cross-section

with a dollop of basil mayonnaise

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Classic Pesto

Like the title says, this is your classic pesto recipe. Classic for a reason (it's delicious). Great on pasta, but equally great on shrimp, vegetables, bread, burgers, fish, pizza, salad, sandwiches...you get the idea.

CLASSIC PESTO

Yield: about 1 cup

4 cups fresh basil leaves (from about 3 large bunches)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled (can substitute almonds)

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup finely grated fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (amount depends on how salty the cheese is)

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste (optional)

1.      Combine basil, olive oil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor or blender.  Blend until paste forms, stopping to scrape down the sides.

2.      Add cheese, salt and lemon juice; blend until smooth. If too thick, add more olive oil.  

Tips:

·    Can be made 1 day ahead. Top with 1/4-inch olive oil and store in the refrigerator.

·    If serving on pasta, thin the pesto first with some of the pasta cooking water before tossing.

adapted from Bon Appétit, August 2004

blended (that was quick)

You just know I put this on something (but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what it is).

Shrimp with Garlic-Basil Butter

I love garlic.  I love basil.  I love butter.  If you feel the same way (and if you don't, you might want to have your taste buds checked), you'll love this dish.  Unless of course you don't like shrimp, in which case I would recommend trying it with pasta and/or vegetables (I dipped my steamed broccoli in the leftover sauce on my plate and it was very tasty).

 

 SHRIMP WITH GARLIC-BASIL BUTTER

Yield: 4 servings

3/4 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

sea salt and black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup shredded fresh basil (parsley tastes good too)

1.      Season shrimp with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over moderately high heat and sauté shrimp until just cooked through (only 1-2 minutes per side).  Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon (leave the oil behind).

2.      Add garlic and red pepper flakes to oil in the skillet; cook for only 15 seconds.  Add wine, lemon juice and sundried tomatoes.  Boil until liquid is reduced by two thirds.

3.      Reduce heat to low; swirl in butter.  When butter is almost completely melted, add basil and season with salt and pepper.  Add shrimp.

4.      Serve shrimp with sauce.

Serving Suggestions:

--   Spoon shrimp and sauce over ½ lb. capellini (cooked al dente).  If needed, add some pasta cooking liquid to thin the sauce.  Add chopped, steamed broccoli (or other vegetables) and toss.

--    Serve with Elizabeth's roasted asparagus and rosemary biscuits.

adapted from Henry’s End Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY

extreme closeup

Sundried Tomato & Pesto Torta (the "it" party food of 2009)

This was the hands-down most requested recipe I made in 2009.  I brought it to several parties and everyone ooh'd and ahh'd.  It's especially nice for Christmas because of the red, green and white colors.  I like to cut it in quarters or in half (once partially frozen) because it's too big for most gatherings, plus it looks pretty as a half-circle laid flat side down.

SUNDRIED TOMATO AND PESTO TORTA

Makes 20 servings (probably more)

4 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish

1/4 cup pine nuts, plus more toasted pine nuts for garnish

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 2/3 cups cream cheese (about 13 ounces), room temperature

1 1/3 cups drained oil-packed sundried tomatoes

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 cup (8 oz.) plain, soft goat cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

salt and black pepper

1-2 baguettes, sliced and toasted (or “petit toast” crackers)

1.      Finely chop garlic in processor. Add basil, pine nuts, oil and lemon juice. Process until well blended. Add the parmesan and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese. Using on/off turns, process just until blended. Transfer pesto to medium bowl.

2.      Coarsely chop tomatoes in processor. Add tomato paste and process until mixture is almost smooth. Add 1/3 cup of the cream cheese and blend well.

3.      Using electric mixer, beat goat cheese, butter and remaining cream cheese (1 cup) until fluffy.  Season with salt and pepper.

4.      Lightly oil a 6-cup soufflé dish; line with plastic wrap, extending plastic over sides (or use a
6 ½” non-stick spring form pan—line bottom with parchment if desired).

5.      Spread 1/2 cup cheese-butter mixture evenly over bottom of prepared dish.  Top with half the tomato mixture, then 1/2 cup cheese-butter mixture, then half the pesto mixture. Repeat layering with 1/2 cup cheese-butter mixture, remaining tomato mixture, 1/2 cup cheese-butter mixture and remaining pesto.  Top with remaining cheese-butter mixture. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)   Freezes well (thaw in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving).

6.      If using soufflé dish, invert torta onto platter and peel off plastic (if using spring form pan, just remove side of pan). Garnish with basil sprigs and toasted pine nuts. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Tip:  Freezing for 10-15 minutes between layers makes it easier to spread.

Note:  This version is slightly different from the original (it substitutes some goat cheese for cream cheese, uses less butter and has a few tips thrown in).  The original recipe can be found on epicurious.com. Copyright © Bon Appétit, December 1999