Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto

 I am such a sucker for pesto.  I have been making and freezing my own for several years now - thanks to Erin who introduced me to her favorite pesto recipe.  I saw this recipe from Cooking Light on pinterest, and made it immediately.  Definitely a keeper!  I just used the vegetables I had on hand, and whipped this fabulous dinner up in no time.  The lemon and garlic marinade is light and fresh.  When combined with the creamy pesto dip these kebabs are out of this world!  Seriously yum.

Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
4 cloves of garlic, pressed (or minced)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 summer squash, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons pesto

Combine lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, oil, salt and pepper.  Toss with bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken and onion.  Thread vegetables and chicken onto 4 (12-inch) skewers.  Place skewers on a  broiler pan coated with cooking spray.  Grill or broil 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally.

Combine 1 teaspoon juice, yogurt, sour cream and pesto.  Serve sauce with kebabs.

Recipe Source: Adapted from  Cooking Light September 2010 as found on myrecipes.com

Italian goat cheese and pesto torta

This spread is unique, beautiful, and DELICIOUS!!!  It has a creamy double layer of cream cheese and goat cheese with layers of pesto and sun-dried tomatoes in between.  Spread on a toasted slice of baguette and you are talking about heaven!  My husband declared it to be the best thing I have ever made... ever!! Both of my kids even liked it.  I originally had it at my friend Ali's house and everyone was raving. It is absolutely fantastic.  Thank you so much Ali for sharing this wonderful appetizer recipe with me!

Italian Goat Cheese and Pesto Torta
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sisters Cafe 

4 oz. goat cheese

8 oz. cream cheese

salt, pepper

3 Tb tomato paste

3/4 c. minced, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil 

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 c. pesto (must be thick)

 

Line medium sized bowl with saran wrap, edges hanging over.  Spray saran wrap with Pam.  Combine goat cheese, cream cheese and salt and pepper with electric mixer until smooth.  Reserve 1/3 cup mixture.  To reserved 1/3 c. mixture, add tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.  Mix with spatula until smooth.  Take half of goat cheese mixture and spread on bottom of bowl.  This part can be a little tricky since the plastic wrap likes to stick to the cheese and not the bowl as you're trying to spread it!  I would suggest using a large, flat spoon (like a serving spoon) and run it under hot water until the spoon is warm.  Then using the back side of the spoon, gently press the cheese mixure along the bottom of the bowl.  (The warmth of the spoon will keep the cheese from sticking to it. If it starts sticking again, go run it under the hot water again.)  Next spread with pesto, then with sun-dried tomato mixture.  Smooth remainder of cheese mixture on top using the warmed-spoon trick.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour.  Serve with toasted baguette slices

 

Note: Trader Joe's has a  sun-dried tomato bruschetta topping that works great in place of the sundried tomato layer if you want to make it a little easier.  Also, I have left out the tomato paste before and it still tasted great.  

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

Want to try a fantastic variation of the much-loved, traditional Caprese Salad?  Well here you are.  And oh my, is it fabulous!  My friend made it for a bunch of us girlfriends and everyone was oohing and aahing!  I couldn't wait to pick up some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes and share it with you all.  The roasted tomatoes and creamy cheese are arranged on pesto, then drizzled with hot garlic-chili oil.  It is a beautiful and delicious appetizer and a fun twist on a favorite classic.  Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sisters Cafe

4 medium tomatoes on the vine
3 Tb olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 pinches kosher salt
6 oz fresh mozzarella (1 large ball)
3-4 Tb pesto

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the tomatoes, still on the vine, in a small baking dish.  Combine olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Drizzle over tomatoes.  Roast the tomatoes for about 15-20 minutes until the skin on the tomatoes is splitting and there is some golden color to them.

While the tomatoes are roasting, place several spoonfuls of pesto on a large plate.  Cut fresh mozzarella ball into slices and arrange over the pesto in a circular pattern.
When you remove the tomatoes, hot from the oven, place them on top of the mozzarella.  Then pour the oil in the bottom of the dish over the tomatoes and cheese.   Serve while the tomatoes are hot and the cheese will be melting and stringy.

I made a ton of pesto last fall... and I really mean a ton!  Usually I save my precious homemade pesto for my favorite recipes... like this, this and this to name a few.  However, with my new plethora of pesto, I have had some fun trying out new recipes.  These Pesto Burgers were definitely a keeper.  I mean, what a unique burger, right?  They were super easy (love that), and they feel kind of gourmet.  Perfect for when you feel like shaking things up a bit.

Pesto Burgers

Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 lbs of ground turkey or beef (the burger in the picture is half ground turkey and half ground beef)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2/3 cup pesto
2 eggs, beaten

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Form eight patties and grill in a skillet with a small amount of olive oil or grill.  Serve burgers with red onion rings, sliced tomato, lettuce, and feta (or gouda or swiss) cheese.  My traitorous husband and father put ketchup and mustard on theirs and thought it was pretty darn good that way, too.

Pesto Baked Chicken

Here's a yummy recipe for all you basil growers out there. Wowza...this Pesto Baked Chicken is good!! I'm sure some of you have a bag or two of this green goodness sitting in your freezer too, right? And hello, the instructions consist of 6 sentences! So easy. Pine nuts would be awesome on this chicken, but I didn't have any. I usually use walnuts instead anyway, much cheaper, and we think it tastes de-lish!

Pesto Baked Chicken

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: Natalie Jenson from SAA Cookbook

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. + 1 T. prepared pesto
1 1/2 t. sour cream
1 1/2 t. mayonnaise
2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T. pine nuts or walnuts

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Combine pesto, sour cream, and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Brush over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Bake 15-25 min or until chicken is cooked through.

Seriously good Chicken Pesto Sandwich

I recently attended a baby shower and this sandwich was served. It was amazing!! Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe and luckily our friend Robin the host was happy to share. I was very surprised that the delicious bread was the refrigerated french bread dough that comes in a canister. It was really good! I think the recipe would work well with a homemade baguette recipe too. I think the key is the olive oil and cheese sprinkled on top and that it is freshly baked! Fresh baked bread is so good! I used rotisserie chicken, although the recipe called for grilled chicken. Robin used the kettle cooked roast turkey breast you buy that are oval shaped and you cut yourself. That was fantastic too! Anyway, this sandwich is seriously DELICIOUS!! I have already made it several times for my family with rave reviews. It comes together so quick and tastes gourmet! Thanks Robin for a great recipe!

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

submitted by Melanie ~ www.thesisterscafe.com

printable recipe here

2 pkgs refrigerated French Bread dough

2 Tb olive oil, divided

3 Tb grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, or use kettle cooked turkey breast or rotisserie chicken

salt and pepper

2 medium red bell peppers

2/3 cups mayonnaise (I use Hellmans lite)

1/3 cup prepared basil pesto

1/4 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and stemmed

Place dough, seam side down on a large baking stone or silpat covered cookie sheet. Use serrated knife to make 4 diagonal cuts, 1/2 in deep, on top of each. Using a pastry brush lightly brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 26-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove bread to cooking rack and cool completely. If grilling the chicken heat grill to medium temperature. Brush chicken with 1 tsp of olive oil season lightly with salt and pepper. Slick bell peppers into 1/2 inch strips ant toss with remaining 1Tb of oil. Place chicken and bell pepper slices on grid of grill. Grill uncovered for 12-15 minutes turning as needed until chicken is cooked and bell peppers are tender. Remove from grill and cool slightly.
**Robin did not grill chicken or peppers. She used the kettle cooked turkey breast and sauteed the peppers in a pan on the stove. It was great--so do whichever method you prefer.** Cut chicken into thin strips. Combine salad dressing, pesto and lemon pepper. To assemble sandwich, cut bread in half horizontally. Spread half of the presto mixture over cut side of bread bottom, cover with spinach leaves. Arrange chicken evenly over spinach; top with bell pepper strips. Spread remaining pesto mixture over bottom half. Cut each loaf into 4 sections. Enjoy!

Serves 8.

Pesto Swiss Fondue

This cheese fondue is sooooo good!  And I love that I got to use the oh-so-yummy pesto I made and froze last summer in it (I linked to the recipe below).  Seriously, I am craving Pesto Swiss Fondue again just writing this post.  I have tried a few cheese recipes which were much more complex, used more expensive cheeses, and turned out just OK.  They were discouraging.  Finally I remembered that my cute cousin, Marnie, loves to have fondue parties with friends.  I think she has like eight pots or something.  Anyway, I emailed her and she sent me some of her favorite recipes.  Tried and true.  That is my kind of recipe!  And it paid off with this one. I am already planning to make this fondue again soon... and now that I know how good it is, I am going to be sure to invite friends.  If you have never tried it, fondue is the best food for getting together with friends.  It is both fun and takes some time to eat, giving you lots of opportunity to chat and laugh. Plus it doesn't hurt that it is absolutely delicious! :)

Pesto Swiss Fondue
Submitted by Mindy
www.www.thesisterscafe.com

Printable Recipe

1 12oz. block of swiss cheese, cubed
2 T flour
2 large garlic cloves, chopped (I used a garlic press)
1/2-3/4 c. of white cooking wine (I used 3/4 c)
1/2 c. milk
2-3 T of jarred prepared pesto (Click HERE for our favorite pesto recipe, which is what I use)

Ideas for dipping: cubed french bread, cauliflower, broccoli, granny smith apples, new potatoes or cubed red potatoes, sausage, red bell peppers

Cube cheeses and chop garlic.  Place cubed cheese in a bowl and add flour just enough to lightly coat the cheese.  Spray the fondue pot or pan with cooking spray and add the chopped garlic.  Cook on medium high until the garlic just begins to brown.  (I used the Cuisinart fondue pot and cooked this part on the #2 temperature setting).  Then add wine.  When the wine begins to boil, reduce the heat back to medium (I kept temp at #2 -3 during this part) and slowly add the flour coated cheese and milk a little at a time, always stirring so it will not burn.  As the cheese melts, continue to add the rest of the cheese, again ALWAYS stirring so it will not burn.  When the cheese is all fully melted, add the pesto and serve immediately.  If you are not using a fondue pot you may need to reheat it after a little while as the fondue will thicken as it cools.

Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta

I love Erin's pesto... well, actually, it is Barefoot Contessa, I think. But Erin is the one who introduced me to the recipe, so I think of it as hers. :) I have already made this pesto twice this year. Once with my sweet mom and once on my own with my own home grown sweet basil to freeze for later use. Pesto is the best on everything... but this time I used it with a super easy and delicous recipe I adapted from THISwebsite (I think it is whatscookingamerica.net?). We used our fresh garden tomatoes, which along with the fresh pesto was WONDERFUL!

Basil Pesto Pasta

Submitted by Mindy

1/4 cup basilpesto (Pesto recipe already posted by Erin... it's the best!)

1/4 lb penne pasta

1.5-2 cups tomatoes

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Basil leaves

Shredded parmesan cheese

Prepare Basil Pesto. Store in refrigerator or freeze until ready to serve. (Click on "pesto" above to go to the recipe, which was previously posted by Erin. It is the BEST!!!) Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. Just before draining the pasta into a colander, remove 1/4 cup of pasta water; set aside. Drain the pasta, put back in the pot, and then stir in the Basil Pesto and the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, to create a sauce. Add diced tomatoes and toss to coat thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer onto individual serving plates and garnish with sliced fresh basil leaves and shavings of Parmesan cheese.Makes 2 servings.

 

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

This is one of my favorite ways to use homemade pesto. This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe that my good friend, Katherine, introduced me to. I would HIGHLY recommend halving this. In which case I only use a total of 3/4 lb of one kind of pasta. Actually, I usually skimp a bit on the pasta - we don't like too many noodles. I use more than 1/2 lb and less than 3/4 lb. :) Remember to marinate the Lemon Grilled Chicken early for this recipe.

You guys, this is SO GOOD! You really should try it!

 

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

submitted by Erin

 

¾ lb. fusilli pasta

¾ lb. bow-tie pasta

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ cups homemade pesto (recipe already posted)

1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ¼ cup good mayonnaise

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ cups frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup pignolis, toasted (To toast pignolis [pine nuts] place them in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until evenly browned, tossing frequently.)

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp black pepper

 

Lemon Grilled Chicken pieces, cooked (recipe below)

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes, until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and continue to puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta, then add the cooked chicken pieces, Parmesan cheese, peas, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Mix well and season to taste. DELICIOUS.

 

 

Lemon Grilled Chicken (Already posted but I'll post it again for convenience. I got this recipe from Melanie a long time ago and use it all the time!) 

Juice of one lemon (~3 Tb lemon juice)
3 Tb oil
1 tsp minced garlic (~ 2 medium or 1 large clove)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 lb chicken breasts

Marinate chicken overnight. Usually, if I plan on using this for a pasta dish or pizza, where the chicken needs to be cut up, I cut up the raw chicken before I add it to the marinade. Then after it marinades overnight I cook the pieces in a pan on the stove and drain off the juices/marinade.

Pesto

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa. I love it. I've already posted this pesto recipe under my Pesto Chicken Pizza with Pinenuts and Feta recipe. But I thought it would be convenient to have it in a separate post. I make this from all my garden basil in the fall, freeze it in icecube trays, transfer them to a freezer bag, and enjoy it all year long. It's wonderful!

Pesto
submitted by Erin

¼ c. walnuts
¼ c. pignolis (pine nuts)
3 T. minced garlic (9 cloves)
5 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ c. good olive oil (I prefer using 1 1/4 c.)
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Makes 4 cups.

Eggplant, Tomato, and Mozzarella Mountains

Here is one of my favorite summer side dishes. Ohhhh, I love this! Fresh mozzarella, garden tomatoes, and eggplant from the Farmers Market.... topped with homemade pesto from my garden basil.... This is the epitome of summer deliciousness! :)
This is my favorite way of eating eggplant.  Be sure you have good, 'fresh' mozzarella (it should be saltier than regular mozzarella). It is sold in a ball form. Thanks goes to my friend, Katherine, for giving me this tasty recipe. It's fabulous, just like she is!

Eggplant, Tomato, and Mozzarella Mountains
submitted by Erin

1 eggplant, cut into thick slices (between ¾ - 1 inch)
2 beefsteak tomatoes, then cut into 8 slices (garden fresh is best of course!)
6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (comes in a ball), cut into 8 slices
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 c. pesto

Broil the eggplant until browned on both sides, a few minutes on each side. Place 4 eggplants slices on baking sheet. Put tomato slice and a mozzarella slice on each, sprinkling with salt and pepper as you go. *Be generous with the Kosher salt. It makes a big difference in the flavor. Then make a second layer of eggplant, tomato, and mozzarella, sprinkling with Kosher salt again. *Be sure your tomato and mozzarella layers are as big as your eggplant layers. For best results, your 'mountain' should be nearly equal parts eggplant, tomato, and mozzarella. Skewer it with a toothpick to hold in place. Bake 10 minutes at 375. Remove and drizzle with pesto. (I don’t measure the pesto; I just use as much as I think it needs. I err on the generous side.:)

Pesto Chicken Pizza with Pinenuts and Feta

My husband and I used to go to the Rusted Sun Pizzeria in downtown Salt Lake City. I LOVED their chicken & pine nut pizza. So I made up this recipe one day in a burst of inspiration... I think it comes pretty close! This is our ALL-TIME favorite pizza ever. It's so yummy.

It might seem complicated because of all the recipes that go into preparing this pizza. But it's really not difficult at all. The day before, make pesto and marinate the chicken. The day-of, cook chicken and make the pizza dough. Then assemble the pizza at dinner time. It's a snap.

 

Pesto Pizza with Pine Nuts and Feta
Submitted by Erin

 

 

Preheat Pizza Stone in 400° oven. Roll out prepared pizza dough and place on preheated pizza stone. Top pizza dough with the following ingredients in order: 

1) Pesto (LIBERALLY spread pesto over the pizza, so you can’t see the dough through it, and up on top the edges so the crusts will have pesto on them as well.)
2) Feta cheese (about 4 oz)
3) Red onion slivers (about 1/3 onion -I like lots of red onion and tomatoes)
4) Chicken pieces (about 1 1/2 Grilled Lemon marinated breasts, diced and cooked)
5) Tomato slices (1-2 tomatoes, bite-sized slices)
6) Mozzarella cheese (to your liking)
7) Pine nuts (sprinkle over top)

Bake in 400° oven for 18-20 minutes.

 

 

Pesto
This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa – she is a professional chef who has great cookbooks. I make multiple batches of pesto during the summer with basil from my garden. I use it for lots of recipes, and then the remaining pesto I freeze to use later in the winter and spring. I freeze it in icecube trays and then empty the frozen pesto cubes into freezer bags.

I love this recipe. I think it has a tendency to be too oily, though, so I usually only add 1 1/4 c. olive oil. Test it out and see what you prefer.  

¼ c. walnuts
¼ c. pignolis
3 T. diced garlic (9 cloves)
5 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ c. good olive oil
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Makes 4 cups.

 

White Pizza Dough
I've posted this pizza dough before, but I'll put it here again for convenience. This Pesto Chicken Pizza is much better on a white pizza crust than a whole wheat pizza crust. Save the whole wheat for a tomato based sauce; the flavors in this pizza are best complimented with a white dough.

 

1 c warm water, divided
1 tsp sugar
1/4 oz package active dry yeast
3 Tbsp oil (olive oil or vegetable)
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp salt 

Put warm water in bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast and let proof for 1o minutes. Stir in rest
of ingredients. Mix until a ball, knead 10 minutes. Put additional oil in bowl and let rise in oil bowl for 1 ½ hours.


Lemon Grilled Chicken
Melanie introduced me to this recipe. It's already been posted on this blog. It's very very versatile and DELICIOUS. Use it on pizza, in salads, or serve it straight from the grill.

Juice of one lemon (~3 Tb lemon juice)
3 Tb oil
1 tsp minced garlic (~ 2 medium-large cloves)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 lb chicken breasts

Marinate chicken overnight. If I'm using this for a pizza or salad, I dice the raw chicken and marinate it that way. If it's diced it has more surface area to marinate and then you can get away with only marinating it for 8 or so hours. You can grill this indoors or outdoors, or you may use a skillet.

Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini

We had this for dinner last night, and the night before... :) If you have homemade pesto, you've got to try this! It is so delicious. I say "homemade pesto" because I don't know what store bought tastes like, and I can't guarantee it.... but you might know of a good quality, delicious prepared pesto that you can purchase.
I plant basil every year and by the end of the summer they are big bushes and I 'harvest' basil all the time. I make batches of pesto and freeze them in ice cube trays so I can use it throughout the winter and spring. Some of our favorite dinners are meals that I make with pesto.
This Pesto Panini has pesto spread on the inside of both pieces of Italian bread (I use crusty, chewy bread from the bakery at the grocery store, such as a Neo-Tuscan Boule or Rosemary Boule...). Then I layer grilled chicken (I grill mine with some lemon pepper on it), tomatoes, avocado, roasted red peppers, and fresh mozzarella cheese (the kind that comes in a ball). I spread a little butter on the outsides of the bread (this is optional) and then grill it in a George Foreman-type of grill for five minutes. Serve immediately. (Submitted by Erin)

To make roasted red peppers, half the bell pepper and remove seeds and stem. Place face down on a sheet of tinfoil and place under the broiler. Broil until the skin is black all over, about 8 or so minutes. I cover the tops of the pepper with some tin foil when it gets black and continue to broil it so the remaining sides will blacken. Once the skin is black, fold the tinfoil around it to seal in the heat (or place in a bowl and cover with Saran wrap) and let sit for 20 minutes (I've scrimped on the time before, and I think it still tastes good). Then peel off the black skin and cut into slices.