We believe that there are a couple things that you should always have in stock: balsamic vinegar and basil pesto. Trust me. Invest in them and see how many things you can make with very few ingredients! They are delicious and don't need much else to make a recipe. This dish we made up one night when all we had was chicken, balsamic, pesto, and asparagus. Add them all together and it's pure magic! If you have some french bread, it makes for some seriously good dipping. So here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup pesto
4 Tbsp olive oil
asparagus (however much you want for 2 people)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 tsp lemon (or lime) juice
optional: 1 honeydew melon
(Tip: double the recipe and have yummy leftovers the next day--but you may want to bake the asparagus day-of.)
Directions:
Cook #1:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2. Prepare asparagus by rinsing and trimming (grab asparagus at either end and bend it--it will break naturally where it begins to be too tough)
3. Toss the asparagus with 3 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl
4. Spread the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet
5. Bake asparagus in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes
6. Remove asparagus, and sprinkle lemon juice on top
7. Set the table
8. Arrange cooked chicken and asparagus on a serving dish, add extra balsamic as desired.
Cook #2:
1. Cut the chicken breasts in half, so they are thinner (cut again in half if you want smaller pieces)
2. Coat the chicken in a layer of pesto sauce
3. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat with a Tbsp of olive oil
4. When skillet is warm, place chicken on the skillet and cook until each side is lightly browned and inside is almost cooked through
5. Before the chicken cooks through, add balsamic to the pesto chicken
5. Cook chicken until there is no pinkness inside
Whoever finishes first can cut up any fruit that you wish as a side, we love honeydew melon with this dish.
Enjoy!
