Presto Pesto Chicken

I needed to use some of my bountiful basil, so I made some pesto.  This recipe was an easy and tasty way to use some of the pesto.  And since I still had shredded mozzarella in my fridge from a previous recipe, I put that on top for fun.  It was so easy, I almost feel silly posting this as a recipe.


Presto Pesto Chicken 

Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Basil Pesto  (see recipe below)
salt and pepper
Tomato slices
Fresh or shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Smother each chicken breast in pesto on all sides (about 1-2 tablespoons pesto per breast).  Season with salt and pepper.   Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side (or bake in oven for 25-30 minutes) until done.

When cooked through, spread more pesto on top of each chicken breast.  Top with a tomato slice and mozzarella cheese.  Grill or broil a few minutes until cheese is melty.


Pesto Recipe
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 cups packed basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup shredded/grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste

In a food processor, pulse the pine nuts, basil, garlic, and cheese until finely chopped.  With the processor running, add the oil in a thin stream until the pesto comes together and is well combined.  Season with salt to taste.   Store in an air-tight jar.  Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze in lightly greased ice cube trays for 3 months.

Anne's Easy Meatball Zucchini Boats

Since my garden is producing a lot of zucchini right now, I was looking for a new recipe.  I saw something similar to this online, and I simplified it by using frozen meatballs that I already had in my freezer and then I added some fresh herbs from my garden.  It was super easy and quite tasty and we both agreed that we would make this again.

Anne's Easy Meatball Zucchini Boats
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup pasta sauce
6-8 meatballs (depends on size)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
chopped basil to garnish

Directions:
Scoop out the seeds from each zucchini half (throw out or save and add them to the sauce).  Place on a baking sheet.   Brush a little olive oil on each zucchini and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 350º for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat sauce and meatballs in a small pot on stove over medium heat.  I also tossed some fresh chopped oregano, basil and minced garlic into the sauce for extra flavor.

When zucchini is crisp-tender, remove from oven.  Place meatballs into zucchini boats and pour sauce over the top.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top.  Broil for 2 minutes to melt the cheese.  Serve garnished with fresh basil if desired.