Hey guys, how are you all doing?

Its been quite a long since I wrote a blog. You see I recently got done with semester end exams. Now I’m back in Mumbai. Today I’ll be sharing this recipe that learned back in my first year where we used to prepare food for guests who would come to take interviews for campus placements. So we had people from Oberoi Group Of Hotels coming to take the interviews and we had to decide what menu to be planned. A colleague of mine came up with pesto chicken for lunch. At first we doubted whether they’ll like it or not but then we all agreed and gave it a shot.

It’s a simple recipe where we cook the boneless chicken in a salamander or a skillet in olive oil and then pour over a delicious creamy sauce prepared with pesto.

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Here’s the recipe:

For the Pesto

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves (you can substitute half the basil leaves with baby spinach to mellow the flavor as basil gives a strong flavor)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (can substitute chopped walnuts or almonds)
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 tsp salt,more to taste
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
  • Special equipment: A mortar and a pestle

Chicken Marination

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• salt
• ground pepper
• 2 tsp basil pesto
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp basil pesto
• 1 cup fat free evaporated milk
• salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley, for garnish

RECIPE

1. Prepare pesto by adding all the ingredients (except olive oil) mentioned for pesto in a mortar. Grind using a pestle until a course mixture is formed.
2. Add the olive oil slowly and simultaneously grind the ingredients with a pestle, keep pouring the olive oil.
3. Grind until a smooth paste is formed. Your pesto is ready. (pesto tends to darken when exposed longer to air so it is better to store it in a plastic wrap in an air tight container).
4. Now season the chicken breasts wit salt and pepper, and rub chicken with basil pesto. Marinate for 15-20 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a a large nonstick skillet.
6. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until thoroughly cooked.
7. Prepare the sauce by combining flour, garlic, basil pesto, evaporated milk, salt and pepper in a mixing cup or bowl.
8. Whisk thoroughly until everything is combined.
9. Check if the chicken is cooked or not, remove from the skillet if it is cooked.
10. Place the chicken on a serving plate.
11. Add little oil in the skillet and pour the sauce mixture, bring it to a boil .
12. Pour the sauce on the chicken breast and garnish with parsley.

The guests loved it.

Thank you 🙂