Essential herbs with chicken favorites
The hot weather the last few weeks has been good for my garden.
We had the first handful of sungold cherry tomatoes. We’ve been
getting a regular spattering of yellow wax beans and bush beans, as
well as crookneck squash and zucchini. We also changed things up a
bit this year and put some herbs in containers near the front door,
where the plants are shielded from the bright sunlight. It still
gets warm but the mint, oregano, rosemary and thyme seem to be
thriving in a way that they didn’t in the backyard that gets full
sunlight for most of the day. There, the plants seemed to wither on
the hottest days.
Essential herbs with chicken favorites
The hot weather the last few weeks has been good for my garden. We had the first handful of sungold cherry tomatoes. We’ve been getting a regular spattering of yellow wax beans and bush beans, as well as crookneck squash and zucchini. We also changed things up a bit this year and put some herbs in containers near the front door, where the plants are shielded from the bright sunlight. It still gets warm but the mint, oregano, rosemary and thyme seem to be thriving in a way that they didn’t in the backyard that gets full sunlight for most of the day. There, the plants seemed to wither on the hottest days.
But the plants that have been doing the best in the yard in the warm weather are the six basil plants we put in along the house. Four sweet basil plants have blossomed to fill an area near the wall of the house while a Thai basil and cinnamon basil plant fill a planter on the back patio. We’ve been using the herbs by the handful for the last month or so whenever a recipe calls for one of the ingredients. It’s great to have the fresh herbs on hand and it adds a lot of flavor to meals that are improvised, such as a red wine chicken I made a few weeks ago into which I threw a few thyme and rosemary leaves for extra flavor.
With all the basil overflowing it seemed time to tackle a few recipes were the herb is an essential ingredient. On the Fourth of July, we made a tomato-basil bruschetta with fresh tomatoes from Swank Farms. During the week we made a pesto pasta, with a creamy sauce made with cream cheese. I’ve made those recipes before and they can be found online at www.pinnaclenews.com/life, but I also tried a couple new recipes that use that basil flavor to add taste to chicken breast.
The basil and garlic mixtures give plenty of flavor to a meat that can sometimes be plain. It’s a great way to add punch to a summer meal.
Pesto-presto chicken
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray’s Look+cook
3 tbsp. pine nuts
8-10 leaves basil, about a half a cup
1/4 c. flat-leaf parsley leaves, a handful
1 5.4 ounce round of Boursin garlic and herb soft cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls
4 tbsp. EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 slices 1/2 inch thick of vine ripe tomato, 3 medium tomatoes
Preheat oven to 450ºF. In a small pan over medium heat lightly toast the nuts then cool.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, parsley, pine nuts, Boursin cheese, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (about a handful), some salt and pepper. Process into a smooth paste. Reserve.
Butterfly each of the chicken breasts and pound them out lightly in a plastic bag with a dash of water using a skillet or meat mallet. Season both sides of the chicken and divide the herb-cheese mixture between the four breasts, placing a scoop on one half of each breast. Fold the flap over to enclose the cheese mixture.
Transfer the chicken pockets to a baking sheet and shingle 3 slices of tomato over each breast. Season with some salt and pepper, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons EVOO and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano (about a handful).
Bake the chicken pockets until cooked through and light golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
Grilled Chicken with basil dressing
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. plus 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 large clove garlic
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
Whisk 1/3 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, fennel seeds, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day, turning the chicken occasionally.
Meanwhile, blend the basil, garlic, lemon zest, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. Season the basil sauce, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
Transfer the chicken to plates. Drizzle the basil sauce over and serve.
