Pesto, Chicken Recipes

Found these in our latest wine mag, and thought they would be good for Thailand, in terms of ingredients. The pesto, I would also use on pasta and maybe in a veg dip with cream cheese or something.

Spinach Pesto (makes 2 cups)

1/2 C plus 1/3 C olive oil
1/3 C lightly toasted cashew nuts
3 coarsely chopped garlic cloves
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 C Parmesan
4 C tightly packed spinach -- tear up, discard leaves
1/2 C parsley leaves
Put 1/2C of oil, garlic, and nuts in blender (or use mortar and pestle to mash up garlic and nuts and add olive oil). Blend to fine. Add vinegar and Parm and blend. Add spinach and parsley in in two batches with bits of the 1/3 oil and make almost smooth. S&P to taste. If you want to freeze, leave out the Parmesan and add when you are about to use.

Chicken Breast Stuffed with da Pesto
1/4 C pesto
1/4 C minced green olives
1/4 C feta cheese
1/2 Tsp lemon zest
some chil flakes
4 chicken breasts with skin on and bone in

Preheat oven to 315F (190C). Seems a bit low to me.

Mix up the stuffing. Rinse chuck and pat dry. Use a finger to lift the skin away to make a pouch. Stuff with the pesto stuff. Pull the skin over it, S&P, place on foil lined pan and bake until the juices run clear (30-40 min).

I thought pine nuts were used in pesto?

^ As a general rule, yes (I think mostly if you use basil). That's why I put this recipe here as they are difficult to find in Thailand and very expensive if you can. Cashews are common. Had a big tree in front of one house I had.

Toasted slivered Almonds work well instead of pine nuts, available here.

^ True.