Here’s a recipe that would work both as a weeknight meal or as a featured dish at a cookout. The chicken does not need to be marinated ahead of time. The Misty Knoll breasts are super flavorful and succulent. There’s always a risk of drying out white meat on the grill, but I’ve always had good luck with Misty Knoll and the pesto will rescue you if the chicken spends a little too much time on the heat.
| Chicken Kabobs with Basil, Parsley & Scallion Pesto |
Print
|
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 package of Misty Knoll chicken breasts (roughly 1½ pounds)
- 4 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
For the Pesto
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 cup packed parsley leaves
- ½ cup sliced scallions
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut)
- ¼ cup olive or sunflower oil
- ½ tsp salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste (I liked this a bit peppery)
- a squeeze or two of lemon – optional, but recommended
- for a creamier sauce, add ¼ cup plain yogurt or your favorite mayo
Instructions
- 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 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. Dress the kabobs with the pesto or serve it on the side as a dipping sauce.
For 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 oil in a stream as the processor is running and then season with salt, pepper and a or two of lemon 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.
*don’t be fooled – the photo above shows two packages of Misty Knoll chicken – I doubled the recipe to feed 6 people.*
EAT WELL AND BE WELL