When I heard of this recipe, I thought, "Hmmm...cilantro pesto....now that sounds interesting!" I've only ever had basil pesto and I was slightly skeptical about cilantro pesto. It turns out that cilantro pesto is quite delicious, and we're going to make it often! This recipe comes from the Food Network.
2 tablespoons garlic-flavored or regular olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
3 cloves garlic, peeled
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.
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.
2 tablespoons garlic-flavored or regular olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
3 cloves garlic, peeled
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.
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.
Alterations
I didn't have pine nuts, so I just didn't use them. The pesto was still tasty. Also, I didn't really measure much of anything. I just threw in however much cilanto I had (almost a whole bunch), a bit of sour cream, a couple cloves of garlic, and some salt. If I had pine nuts, I definitely would have put them in, but trust me, it was still good without them. I just realized I didn't put any oil in my pesto either. I don't think it really needed it, though I'm sure it would be good with it. I didn't need to add any water. I also pounded out my chicken before cooking it to make it thin, so it would cook more quickly in the frying pan.
The Verdict
You'll have garlic breath for the next day, but it's worth it. This has a VERY strong flavor, but I personally love strong flavors in my food, so I loved it. We scraped out every last bit of the pesto and slathered our chicken with it. Very tasty indeed. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and it was a great dinner.
1 comment:
Did you know that walnuts work just as well as pine nuts? And they are way cheaper too. ; ) Try it. You'll love it.
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