My Italian Chicken Dinner

My Italian Chicken Dinner

There are many things that amaze me. Things like how fast my kids grow, how laundry breeds when I''m not looking, and how many ways I can cook chicken and still like it.

I found this recipe on this blog (again, thanks to Pinterest... Lord knows I'll probably need rehab from being a pinaholic) with the name "Balsamic Vinegar Chicken with Fresh Tomatoes". The title is fairly misleading, I think it would be more accurate as "Pesto Chicken", but since it's not truly a pesto, I will simply rename it "Italian Chicken". Not horribly descriptive, but it gets the point across.

Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 – 5 garlic cloves

1 cup fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 package of cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 red onion sliced

Preparation:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. In a blender place the garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar, water and pulse until pureed.

Place the  chicken breasts in a glass baking dish and cover with the sauce. Top with mushrooms, tomatoes and onion and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. 

Note: If you'd like to dress it up & add a couple extra calories you could also top with toasted pine nuts and fresh shaved parmesan cheese.

My little chef in training.

Chicken with the sauce. It really does look like runny pesto.

Layer on some veggies & toss in the oven.

Go outside & play for 20 minutes...

... and there you have it! Baked & beautiful.

I decided to serve it with a side of cous cous & sauteed zucchini. 

And of course, a nice glass of red. We are being "Italian", after all.