Eggplant Parmesan over Fettuccine

I guess this is technically Chicken Parmesan made with fried eggplant instead of chicken and minus the parmesan cheese. I don’t know. What would you call it? Delicious?

4 servings

Vegetable and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for frying

1 large eggplant, sliced into ½” slices

Salt

Flour, for dredging
2 beaten eggs, for dipping
Italian seasoned bread crumbs, for coating

1 fresh mozzarella cheese ball, sliced

Package of your favorite fettuccine

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used a sausage sauce to add some meat to the dish)

3 large fresh basil leaves, sliced, for garnish

Sprinkle sliced eggplant with salt and set aside. This will start to sweat the eggplant to remove the extra water.

In a large frying pan, heat half vegetable oil and half EVOO over medium high heat. You want the oil to come half way up the eggplant slices when cooking. While oil is heating up, finish preparing eggplant slices.

Using a dish towel or paper towel, rub eggplant slices with salt and remove excess water. Set aside.

Prepare three bowls in the following order: flour, eggs and breadcrumbs. Taking each eggplant slice, dredge in flour, dip in egg and then coat with breadcrumbs. Drop in oil and cook until each side is golden brown, only flipping once. Remove from oil and place on a wire rack; set aside.

In the meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions; drain and toss with pasta sauce to heat through. Set aside.

Once all the eggplant is fried, top each slice with mozzarella cheese and place under a broiler until cheese is bubble and starts to turn brown.

To plate, add pasta topped with eggplant and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Grilled Mahi Mahi over Coconut Lime Cilantro Rice with Mango Avocado Salsa

It was raining on this Cinco de Mayo so we decided to add a little sunshine to our meal with this tropical dish.
 

Coconut Lime Cilantro Rice:

3/4 cup white long grained basmati rice
1 1/2 cups coconut water or juice
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp minced cilantro
1 green onion sprig, minced
Zest and juice from 1 small lime

Grilled Mahi Mahi:

2-8 oz Mahi Mahi filets
Chile con Limon (Chili with Lemon) seasoning

Mango Avocado Salsa:

½ mango, diced
1 small avocado, diced
1 green onion sprig, diced
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
½ Tbsp minced cilantro
Juice from 1 small lime
Salt to taste

Start with the rice, by adding rice, coconut water, EVOO and salt to a rice cooker. Once rice is cooked, stir in cilantro, green onions, lime zest and juice. Set aside until ready to serve.

Season Mahi Mahi filets with seasoning and grill each side over medium high heat for about 8 minutes per side, or until it easily flakes.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the salsa. Season with salt to taste.

Serve grilled fish over a bed of rice and top with mango avocado salsa.

 

Baked Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells

Pick your favorite pasta sauce for this dish. I used a sundried tomato pesto sauce.

 

3-4 servings

 

8 oz jumbo pasta shells

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, save some to sprinkle on top

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, save some to sprinkle on top

2 green onion sprigs, chopped

2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Zest from one lemon

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained

About 10 fresh basil leaves, sliced

 

Cook pasta shells according to directions on packaging. Drain, set aside and cool.

 

In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, mozzarella, green onion, parsley, lemon zest and spinach.  Stuff each shell with cheese and spinach mixture.

 

Add stuffed shells to a greased casserole dish. Top each shell with a spoonful of your favorite pasta sauce. Top with extra cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and broil for an additional 5 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with basil leaves.

Green Olives and Artichoke Rice

 

2-3 servings

 

¾ cup white, long grained Basmati rice

1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

¼ cup chopped green onions

¼ cup chopped green olives

¼ cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts

2 Tbsp chopped marinated sundried tomatoes

2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf Italian parsley 

 

In a rice cooker, add first 4 ingredients and cook until done. Mix in remaining ingredients. 

 

Serve with grilled sword fish and steamed asparagus. 

 

Helpful Tip:

Do you ever buy jarred artichokes, but don’t know what to do with the marinade after the artichokes are gone? I like to buy dried sundried tomatoes and add them to this marinade, then store in the fridge until ready to use. It softens them, making them available to use immediately, and adds great flavor.  You can also use the leftover marinade as a salad dressing too.

 

 

 

Grilled Pork Loin with Mustard Sauce with Capers and Parmesan

I found this sauce recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks, At Blanchard's Table. I served it warm over a grilled, sliced pork loin.

 

1 lb pork loin

Italian salad dressing (for marinade)

 

Mustard Sauce with Capers & Parmesan:

(Sauce is enough for about 3 servings)

2 Tbsp drained capers

2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

½ Tbsp Dijion mustard

Salt and Pepper, to taste

3 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

 

In a bag or bowl, marinate pork loin in Italian salad dressing overnight. Start grilling over high heat, to get good grill marks and crispies going on, then turn heat to low and continue cooking until pork reaches 160 degrees in the middle. Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

 

In a small food processor, combine all ingredients for the sauce. Transfer to a small sauce pan over low and heat until warm.

 

Serve sliced pork with wild rice and steamed broccoli. Drizzle sauce over sliced pork.

Chimichurri Salmon with Roasted Cauliflower

Chimichurri Sauce & Marinade:
½ cup firmly packed fresh flat leaf parsley, remove stems
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

In a food processor add parsley and garlic; process with a few pulses. Stir in EVOO, vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Use half of the sauce to marinate the salmon filets for at least 30 minutes. Save the rest to use as a topping once fish is grilled.

Roasted Cauliflower:

2 cups of cauliflower florets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt and pepper
Fresh lemon juice
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cauliflower on a baking tray, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast cauliflower for 15 minutes. Using tongs, flip florets over, spinkle with lemon juice and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until florets are browned and just fork tender. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

 

Serve grilled fish over a bed of rice with cauliflower. Drizzle fish with extra chimichurri sauce.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Chimichurri Steak

Chimichurri Chicken Pita

 

Honey Lemon Chicken

I found this recipe on a blog that I follow – Closet Cooking. It was so easy to make and super tasty. I look forward to making it again.

 

2 chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 lemon (juice and zest)

2 Tbsp honey

¼ cup chicken stock

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 green onion sprigs, chopped (for garnish)

 

Cut chicken breasts into cube sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and brown all sides of chicken; cook until almost done. Remove chicken from pan; set aside. 

 

In the same pan, add ginger and cook for about one minute. Add lemon juice, zest, honey, stock, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and allow to thicken. (NOTE: if sauce is too thin, whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch.) 

 

Add chicken breast, coat with honey lemon mixture and let chicken finish cooking all the way through.

 

Serve over rice and sprinkle with chopped green onions.

 

Stuffed Pork Loin

I hope you enjoy this pork on pork action as much as we did!

 

 

1 pork loin (about 2 lb)

Salt

Pepper

¾ cup frozen, chopped spinach (defrosted and water squeezed out)

¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes (jarred in oil, drained)

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

About 4 oz goat cheese crumbles

4 slices of thick bacon

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

Cut horizontally through the center of the pork, but not all the way through. Open flat, like a book. Place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about ½” thick using a meat mallet. Season with salt and pepper.

 

In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except bacon). Leaving a 1” border, spread filling over pork and roll up pork like a jelly roll. Cover pork roll with bacon slices. Secure with cooking twine at approx. 2” intervals.

 

Move pork loin to a casserole dish and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the middle registers 138 degrees. Remove pork from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. 

 

Serve over couscous with sautéed veggies.

 

Spinach Shrimp Fettuccine

Over the Christmas holiday while my parents were in town, we made fresh raviolis. They turned the leftover dough into fresh fettuccine for us. We hung the pasta in the laundry room to dry and now are enjoying it a month later. Perfect!

 

 

¼ stick of butter

1 cup half and half

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup chopped frozen spinach

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 tsp butter

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

½ raw shrimp, peeled

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

 

In a pot over medium heat, add butter and melt. Add half and half and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low until ready to use. Do not boil.

 

In another pot, boil water and cook fettuccine according to directions.

 

In a sauté pan over med high heat, add butter and EVOO. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add shrimp. As soon as one side turns pink, turn. Add cherry tomatoes. Sauté together until both sides of shrimp are pink. Remove from heat immediately, to not overcook. 

 

Drain fettuccine. Add pasta to pot with spinach Alfredo sauce; toss to coat. 

 

Serve pasta in a shallow bowl and top with sautéed shrimp and tomatoes. Sprinkle with extra grated parmesan cheese.

Creamed Spinach and Artichoke Rice

 

1 cup of white long grained basmati rice (Royal Basmati Rice is my favorite brand)

2 cups chicken broth
½ stick of butter
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chopped frozen spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup quartered artichoke hearts

In a rice cooker make rice using rice and chicken broth.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and cook onion for about 3 minutes. Add flour and mix to coat onions. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add cream while whisking, to prevent lumps; turn heat to low and simmer, whisking, for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach and salt and pepper, to taste.

Once rice is cooked, mix in creamed spinach and artichokes.

Enjoy with grilled salmon and steamed asparagus.

Mediterranean Chicken Sauté

This dish is easy to make and bursting with colors and delicious flavors. It's perfect for a weekday dinner since it's quick to prepare and cook.

 

 

4 thin chicken filets

Salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

1/4 onion, diced

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil

1 sprig fresh Rosemary (about 2 tsp)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped

1/2 cup quartered artichoke hearts

A dash of red pepper flakes 

 

In a large sauté pan over medium high, heat EVOO. Season each side of chicken filets with salt and pepper. When oil starts to smoke and ripple, add chicken. Brown each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

 

In the same pan, add peppers and onions; sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, return chicken to pan and press into vegetables, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through. 

 

Serve over rice or egg noodles. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

 

Caribbean Coconut Chicken with Lime

We went to the British Virgin Islands in November and I came across a book in the airport called 'A Trip to the Beach' about a couple from the US that moved to the Caribbean to open a restaurant. I loved the book and the tales of their adventures as they chased their dreams of opening a small restaurant on the beach of Anguilla in the BVI. I loved the book so much that I also bought their cookbook, At Blanchard's Table.

On our last night with all the family together for the holidays we decided to make their Calypso Chicken with Lime. It was a huge hit with everyone! We changed it a little to add a kick of spice, but this certainly didn't distract from the tropical flavors and memories of the Caribbean that it brought us back to.

Caribbean Coconut Chicken with Lime

Serves 6

1 lb chicken tenders, or slice 4 chicken breasts into strips
3 Tbsp plus 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 1⁄2 Tbsp fresh lime zest
3 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
1⁄3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp shredded coconut, toasted

Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill.

In a large bowl, coat the chicken with 3 tablespoons lime juice, EVOO and jalapenos. Marinate for 30 minutes.

In a medium saute pan, whisk together 1⁄4 cup lime juice, coconut milk, cream, lime zest, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan and set aside. Turn heat to low.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, and broil or grill them until just about cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Add chicken to coconut sauce on stove top over low heat. Mix in cilantro. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken cooks all the way through.

Serve over Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe below), spoon extra sauce over chicken and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

For dessert, we selected another recipe from the cookbook for a fresh Lemon Mousse.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups basmati rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 green onion sprig, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime

In a rice cooker, combine rice, broth, salt and EVOO. Once rice is ready, mix in cilantro, green onions and lime juice. Mix well and set aside until ready to serve.

Variations - Think think this dish would also be wonderful with the following revisions:

• Sub the chicken for sauteed snapper.
• Sub the chicken for grilled swordfish.
• Kick up the heat by adding diced jalapenos into the rice when you add the cilantro and green onions.

Stuffed Chicken over Creamy Mushroom and Leek Sauce

For our Christmas party last night, I made chicken breasts stuffed with sundried tomato pesto, ricotta cheese, and fresh spinach. I thought the red and green colors would complement our Christmas theme. I served the chicken sliced over a creamy mushroom and leek sauce. Delish. I served this with scalloped potatoes, but it would also be good over rice.

Serves 10

Chicken:

6-7 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
3-4 oz sundried tomato pesto
6 oz Ricotta cheese
1 egg
Fresh baby spinach, stems removed (about 5-6 leaves per chicken breast)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg; set aside. Slice the thick part of each chicken breast and flip open. Pound each chicken breast to about ¼” thick. Season outside of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Flip breast over and spread the inside with pesto, then ricotta cheese and top with 5-6 spinach leaves. Starting with the thin side, roll up as tightly as possible and tuck in the ends to form a neat roll. Secure each breast with 2 toothpicks or tie closed with cooking string.

 

In a large frying pan with a few drizzles of EVOO, heat over high until oil starts to smoke and oil ripples. Brown all sides of chicken and transfer to a large casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through and juices run clear. Let rest before slicing.

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
1 large leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 large baby Bella mushrooms, diced
½ cup white wine
½ Tbsp cornstarch
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

In the same frying pan used to brown chicken, add butter, leeks and mushrooms; sauté for 3-4 minutes. Scrap up browned bits of chicken from pan. Add wine and cornstarch, bring to a boil and whisk together. Turn heat to low and let reduce for about 5 minutes. Whisk in mustard. Add cream and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, pour sauce into a shallow serving dish and top with sliced chicken.

Crock Pot Roast

This is the perfect cozy comfort food for a chilly day. Throw everything in the crock pot and come home to mouthwatering smells that will fill your whole house!

2-3 lbs chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1” cubes

3 large carrots, sliced into 2” long pieces

3 celery ribs, sliced

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

½ Tbsp salt

½ Tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes

2 cups beef broth (or water)

½ cup red wine

¼ cup chopped parsley (I like to use Italian flat leaf)

2 Bay leaves

In a crock pot, or slow cooker, combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours. The liquid should come half way up the meat, but do not cover completely. If there’s too much liquid, reduce the amount of broth, or water.

Serve in a shallow bowl over mashed potatoes or rice. Serve with carrots and spoon over extra sauce.

Cheesy Salsa Fresca Pasta

This may sounds strange, but it’s really tasty. It’s cheesy with a fresh and spicy kick. Top with your favorite grilled meat – chicken or fish.

 

5 oz premade Alfredo sauce

½ cup pico de gallo (salsa fresca)

Fettuccine pasta

In a sauce pan, combine Alfredo sauce and pico de gallo; heat through. Boil pasta according to directions. Drain and toss with sauce mixture.

Top with grilled chicken or fish. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Tip: For a quick chicken or fish seasoning, sprinkle with taco seasoning.

Chicken with Mediterranean Couscous

This dish took less than 30 minutes to make. It was colorful and full of flavor. I love marinating chicken in Italian salad dressing overnight because it's so easy and provides lots of flavor the next day.
 

 

I package of couscous (I used a box of garlic and olive oil flavor)

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced

¼ cup artichoke hearts in oil, drained and diced
½ cup Mozzarella cheese pearls
2 Tbsp minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Italian Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Italian salad dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
 
In a large bag or bowl, add chicken and cover with salad dressing. Marinate overnight.

Cook couscous according to directions on packaging. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside and cook chicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium frying pan, heat a drizzle of EVOO over high heat. Once it starts to smoke and ripple, add chicken and brown on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Move chicken to oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked all the way through so no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear.

To plate, make a bed of couscous and top with chicken sliced and fanned on top.

Fried Polenta with Black Bean Salsa

A little bit of Italy with a Central American flare.

 

Polenta originates from Italy and is a porridge like substance made from cornmeal. It has a smooth, creamy consistency, similar to cream of wheat or grits. Polenta can be used in place of rice, potatoes, pasta or bread and served as an appetizer or as a part of the main dish.

2 servings

1-18 oz tube of precooked polenta (I used  a brand from Quinoa)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Black Bean Salsa:

1 can of black beans (I used ½ a can)
½ small red bell pepper, diced
½ small yellow bell pepper, diced
½ large avocado, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
Juice from one lime
Salt, season to taste

Cotija cheese

Cut polenta into ½”slices. I cut 4 slices per person. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle just a little EVOO. Cook polenta for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for black bean salsa. Carefully toss to combine without mashing the avocado.

Top fried polenta slices with black bean salsa. Top with crumbled Cotija cheese. Serve with grilled chicken.

Note: To prepare the chicken, I rubbed the chicken pieces with chili powder and salt, then drizzled with lime juice. Let marinate for 30 minutes and then grill until cooked through.

Grilled Pork Chops with Sautéed Veggies over Mashed Potatoes

Nothing fancy, but tasty and filling.

 

 

Serves 2

2- 3/4" Pork chops

Lemon Pepper seasoning

Seasoned salt

 

Veggies:

¾ cup baby carrots, halved

1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1” pieces

½ small yellow onion, sliced

1 Anaheim pepper, sliced (you can use a regular bell pepper too)

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

2 Tbsp of freshly minced cilantro

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

 

Mashed Potatoes:

2 large red skinned potatoes, cubed

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup milk (add more to get a creamy consistency)

Salt and black pepper, taste

 

Starting with the potatoes since they have the longest cook time, in a large pot of boiling water, cook cubed potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain water and add back to pot. Add butter and milk and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Cover and set aside.

 

Preheat grill to medium heat. Season one side of pork with lemon pepper seasoning and the other side with seasoned salt.  Grill pork for about 4 minutes per side, or depending on thickness until no longer pink in the middle.

 

Lastly, prepare the veggies. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO. Start sautéing with carrots first. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add zucchini , onion and peppers. Sauté another 3-4 minutes. Last, add garlic and cilantro. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until carrots are tender. 

 

Serve pork chops over a plate of mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies. Enjoy!

 

Variations:

·         Grill chicken, fish or steak instead of pork chops

·         Pan sear the meat instead of grilling

·         Substitute any of the veggies by adding your favorites or removing those you don’t like

·         Add a variety of herbs to the veggies, such as rosemary, parsley and/or chives

Meatball Stroganoff

A quick and tasty meal with a spin on the traditional beef stroganoff.

 

 

Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 small onion, minced

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

1 egg

¼ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (if mixture is too wet, add more) 

 

4 large white or Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

 

McCormik stroganoff seasoning (yes, I'm cheating and using a packet...that's what makes it quick!) 

 

In a large bowl, mix ingredients for meatballs together until well combined. In a large frying pan over med-high heat and drizzle oil. Using wet hands, form walnut sized balls from meat mixture and drop onto frying pan. Fry all sides until browned. 

 

Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring around meatballs. Following the directions on the seasoning packet, add water mixed with seasoning to the pan with the meatballs and mushrooms. Before serving , stir in one cup of sour cream.  

 

Serve over egg noodles or rice. Garnish with minced fresh parsley or sprinkle with paprika and freshly cracked pepper.   

Stuffed Chicken over Almond Pesto

A nice dinner for my hubby's Birthday: I started off with a Caprese Salad and then this main dish of sundried tomato and spinach stuffed baked chicken over homemade almond pesto pasta.

Stuffed Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
¼ cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out, split in four parts
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped, split in four parts
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Almond Pesto:

2 cups of packed basil leaves
¼ cup of slivered almonds
2 garlic clove
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Juice from one lemon
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

½ lb pasta (bow tie or tube)

In a blender or food processor, add basil, almonds, garlic, salt, pepper, cheese and lemon juice; blend and slowly add EVOO while blender is on. Blend until smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice each chicken breast in half and pound until about ¼” thin. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Layout out filets, add a slice of cheese, ¼ forth the spinach and tomatoes on each filet and roll up; secure with toothpicks.

In a sauce pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and brown all sides of the rolled chicken. Then bake for 15 minutes, or depending on thickness, until cooked all the way through.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Then drain and toss with pesto sauce.

Serve pesto pasta with sliced chicken. Drizzle chicken with remaining juices from pan. Enjoy!