This recipe doubles well to feed a larger crowd..
Ingredients:
1 package of Misty Knoll chicken breasts (roughly 1½ pounds)
1/2 cup plus 4 T olive or sunflower oil
¼ t salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 cup packed parsley leaves
½ cup sliced scallions
½ cup chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut)
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
a squeeze or two of lemon or a splash of vinegar – optional, but recommended
for a creamier sauce, add ¼ cup plain yogurt or your favorite mayo
Cut the chicken into large bite sized pieces – aiming for roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You may either pull off the skin or grill them with the skin on.
Toss chicken pieces in a bowl with 4 T oil, salt and pepper.
String onto metal or wooden/bamboo skewers. If using wooden/bamboo you may soak them for up to an hour if you’re concerned they might ignite on the grill.
Light grill (charcoal or gas) and heat until the grill is hot.
Grill kabobs on medium-high for roughly 15 minutes – turning as necessary so that the pieces cook evenly and don’t burn. If it seems as though they’re overcooked (most people err on the side of overcooking their grilled chicken rather than undercooking) splash some oil onto the kabobs after they come off the grill.
Meanwhile, make the pesto: in the bowl of a processor add the basil, parsley, scallions, walnuts and whiz together until the herbs and nuts are finely chopped.
Add the rest of the oil in a stream as the processor is running and then season with salt, pepper and a splash or two of lemon or vinegar to taste.
Blend in the yogurt or mayo if desired. You will likely have more pesto than you need.
Leftovers may be stirred into pasta, swirled into soup, whisked into a salad dressing, spread on bread for a sandwich, dolloped onto grilled fish or veg or just eaten by the spoonful.
Dress the kabobs with the pesto or serve it on the side as a dipping sauce.
