Grilled Chicken Skewers With Red Pepper Pesto Food

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH RED PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Blend first 7 ingredients and 6 tablespoons of oil in a food processor until almost smooth. Add almonds and process until finely chopped, but not ground. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Prepare grill (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Brush chicken with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Skewer each piece with toothpick. Arrange on platter and serve with pesto.

GRILLED CHICKEN AND MOZZARELLA PESTO SKEWERS

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a bowl. Put the eggplant cubes in a separate bowl and add the peppers.
• Sprinkle the chicken with a third of the orange zest, and some oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Toss well.
• Sprinkle the vegetables with another third of the zest, and some oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Toss well.
• Preheat a grill for cooking over medium-high heat. Build skewers, alternating chicken cubes with vegetables. Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are charred and tender, 2 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, place the mozzarella cubes in another bowl and sprinkle with the remainder of the zest, along with some oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Toss well.
• Thread the mozzarella cubes on the tops and bottoms of each of the skewers. Drizzle with pesto and serve immediately.

PAN-FRIED CHICKEN WITH RED PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine red peppers, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese and process until pureed. With machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Set aside.
• In a large well-oiled skillet over medium heat, add chicken and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
• Transfer to serving plate and top chicken with pesto.

SMOKED CHICKEN PIZZA WITH RED PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• MAKE THE RED PEPPER SAUCE:
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the head of garlic, cut side up, on a double sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil.
• Wrap the foil around the garlic and bake until the cloves are very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool.
• Squeeze the garlic onto a plate.
• Roast the red pepper directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning frequently, until charred all over.
• Transfer the pepper to a plate to cool. Discard the charred skin, seeds and core and coarsely chop the pepper.
• In a food processor, puree the pepper with the roasted garlic, basil, oregano and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• MAKE THE PIZZA:
• On a lightly floured work surface, cut the pizza dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
• Flatten each ball, dust with flour and roll out to a 5-inch round. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 500° for at least 45 minutes. Flour a pizza peel.
• Place a dough round on the peel and roll it out to an 1/8-inch thickness. Spread 2 tablespoons of the red pepper sauce over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge.
• Scatter 1/2 cup of the shredded chicken and one-fourth of the red pepper strips over the pizza, then top with 1/2 cup of the Manchego and 1/4 cup of the goat cheese.
• Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until browned on the bottom and bubbling on top, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer to a cutting board, scatter some arugula leaves on top and cut into pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH DECONSTRUCTED PESTO

Steps:

• Build a fire in your grill; when the flames have died down, all the coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill for about 5 seconds), you're ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.)
• Combine the chicken, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss well to coat, then thread the chicken chunks onto the skewers so they press up against one another but aren't jammed together.
• Put the skewers on the grill directly over the coals and cook, rolling the skewers around every 3 to 4 minutes to ensure all the sides are more or less evenly exposed to the heat, until lightly seared, about 12 to 14 minutes. To check for doneness, make a small cut and peek inside a couple of the chunks to be sure they are opaque all the way through with no pink.
• Slide the chicken chunks off the skewers into a large bowl, add all the other ingredients one after the other, toss well to coat evenly, season to taste if needed and serve.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH RED PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper together, and brush the mixture on the flank steak. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the raw red pepper, shallot, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the peppers soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add the roasted red peppers and vinegar and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Remove from heat, cool and stir in the basil and the pine nuts.(this can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It should be served at room temperature.).
• Preheat the grill to high heat.
• Grill the flank steak for 4 to 8 minutes on each side, depending on the desired doneness. Let the steak rest on a carving plate for 1 or 2 minutes before slicing.
• Slice the steak on the bias and serve it with the red pepper pesto.
• For an Asian twist: Substitute 1 tablespoons soy sauce for the balsamic vinegar. Also, add 1 tsp.minced ginger and Dijon mustard to the marinade.