Chicken With Pistachio Parsley Pesto Food

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PISTACHIO-CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toast pistachios on baking sheet until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to processor. Maintain oven temperature. Add cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, cardamom, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper.
• Using fingers, gently loosen skin from 1 side of each chicken breast, forming pocket. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto evenly under skin of each. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook until skin is dark golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Place 1/2 cup remaining pesto into small bowl. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Drizzle pesto sauce over chicken breasts and serve.

CHICKEN WITH PARSLEY AND PISTACHIO PESTO OVER PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to directions on package.
• Meanwhile, put 1 tbsp of the broth in a large skillet and cook chicken until golden brown on all sides. I would use 2 tsp olive oil to do this, instead of broth.
• While chicken in cooking, put parsley, the remaining broth, garlic and pistachios in the blender or a food processor to blend well. Process until smooth. You may want to add a little more broth as this will be the sauce for your pasta.
• Add parsley sauce to the chicken in the skillet and cook for at least one minute, or until your chicken in cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place pasta in serving bowl and pour the chicken and pesto sauce over it.
• Serve immediately.

ARUGULA PISTACHIO PESTO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry. Slip your fingers under the breast skin and gently create a pocket the length of both breasts. Season the inside of the cavity with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Add the arugula and 5 cloves of the garlic to a food processor fitted a blade. Pulse 3 to 4 times, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon and pulse 3 to 4 more times. Add the cheese and pistachios, and with the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape down sides and pulse a few more times. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• Gently work half of the pesto under the breast skin. Reserve the other half of the pesto. Put the other lemon half into the cavity along with the remaining 2 peeled garlic cloves. Rub the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Season the outside of the chicken with the remaining salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the bird, and truss the chicken. Put the chicken, on its side, into a roasting pan and put in hot oven. Roast at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, rotate chicken onto other side, and roast for 15 minutes more. Carefully turn chicken onto its back (breast side up), reduce heat to 350 degrees F and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, begin basting it with the pan juices. Repeat until chicken is done and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven, put the chicken on a carving board and tent it with foil. Remove the fat on the top of the pan juices. Put the roasting pan over a burner on medium heat and add 1/3 cup of the reserved pesto. Stir and incorporate it into the pan juices along with any bits that might be on the bottom of the pan. Whisk the cornstarch and the half-and-half in a small bowl and slowly add it to the pan. Stir continually until the mixture starts to thicken. Adjust seasonings, if necessary, and pour it into a serving bowl.
• Carve the chicken, arrange it on a serving platter and serve with the sauce.

PISTACHIO-PARSLEY PESTO

Steps:

• In a blender, combine parsley, broth, pistachio nuts, and garlic. Process until smooth, adding more broth, if necessary, to create a sauce-like consistency. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, place the pine nuts in a small dry skillet and set over medium heat. Toast the nuts until golden brown, about 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Transfer the pine nuts to a blender or food processor and add cilantro, sour cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, adding water, as necessary, to create a thick paste. Serve the chicken with the pesto spooned over the top.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PISTACHIO-CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toast pistachios on baking sheet until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to processor. Maintain oven temperature. Add cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and next 3 ingredients to processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil. Season pesto with pepper.
• Using fingers, gently loosen skin from 1 side of each chicken breast, forming pocket. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto evenly under skin of each. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook until skin is dark golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Place 1/2 cup remaining pesto into small bowl. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Drizzle pesto sauce over chicken breasts and serve.

5-A-DAY CHICKEN WITH KALE & PISTACHIO PESTO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put all the veg for the bake except the garlic in a large bowl and add 1 tbsp olive oil, then carefully turn everything over with your hands so the oil adds a very thin coating. Lightly oil the tray as well if you are worried about things sticking.
• Arrange the veg in piles on the tray, or scatter it all over if you prefer. Add the garlic halves and the chicken, sitting the chicken on top of the veg. Season well and bake for 40 mins then, if the chicken skin is still pale, either turn the oven up or turn it onto the grill setting, and cook or grill until it is nicely browned.
• Meanwhile, make the pesto. Whizz the kale, garlic and pistachios until everything is finely chopped. Add the parmesan, lemon juice and olive oil and whizz again. Add a splash of water to loosen. Any left over will keep in a jar for up to three days in the fridge. Serve the chicken and veg with the pesto spooned over.