Arugula Pesto Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts

Arugula Pesto Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts

Green Bean Orecchiette

Anyone that reads this blog knows that arugula is a main staple in my weekly diet. Riley and I were not only cooking for our roommate who doesn't eat pork or beef, but we were also cooking for our good friends Lauren and Alex. Lauren and Alex are a dream to have over for dinner because they always bring a bottle of wine (which keeps us reminiscent of being in Southern France with them last summer), and because Lauren always tenaciously insists on helping us clean up. Not that I take her up on it, but it's always nice when friends offer to help clean up (I'm lucky that most of my friends offer to do this).

We knew we had to have either a vegetarian dish, or something with chicken, if we were to choose a main meat dish. As I mentioned previously, I haven't been using my cookbooks or cooking magazines nearly enough recently, so I grabbed my latest FoodNetwork magazine, determined to find a recipe from it. One thing that I love about this magazine is that in the beginning, there is a complete index, complete with pictures, of recipes you will see in that month's magazine. Obviously, the easiest way about going this would be to look at the index instead of reading the whole magazine. And that's when I saw the arugula pesto chicken recipe. The sides were random, but involved vegetables I had purchased recently that I needed to use. These included Brussels sprouts, good cheese (duh.), and a light pasta dish.

If you haven't had Brussels sprouts since you were 10, and decided right then and there you didn't like them, I urge you to try them again. They look like mini cabbages, but don't be fooled. With some good olive oil, salt, and pepper, these little babies transform into a perfect appetizer. And did I mention, they are deeeeeliiciious? They are incredibly easy, low maintenance, and are very low in calories. They also contain sulforphane, which is a chemical believed to have anticancer properties. Broccoli also contains this chemical. They are called "Brussels sprouts" because they are said to have come from Brussels, Belgium...

Brussels, Belgium summer of 2011...need I say more?

Arugula Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

2 cups orecchiette

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 cups arugula

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley

2 tablespoons TOASTED almonds, hazelnuts, or pinenuts (being toasted is crucial)  

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

8 small, skinless, boneless chicken breasts

 

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs (12 minutes); about 3 minutes before the pasta is done, add the green beans
2. Drain the pasta and beans and rinse under cold water (to stop the pasta from further cooking). Toss with half of the cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest, and salt

3. Preheat the broiler. Puree the arugula, parsley, nuts, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons water, the remaining cheese, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt to taste in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl

4. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/2 inch thick.

5. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Rub all over with 1/4 cup of the arugula pesto and broil, turning once, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes for each side

Roasted Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1 head of cauliflower
4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Trim cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. For cauliflower, this means getting rid of the bottom green leaves and stalk. For Brussels sprouts, cut the bottom brown ends off, as well as pulling off any sketchy looking yellow leaves. Cut in half
3. In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in a 13 x 9 baking dish

4. Roast for about 40 minutes, give or take a few depending on your oven. You may or may not want to turn them over about halfway in, but it again depends on your taste and preference. I like mine a little crispier, so I choose to roast them a bit longer