Grilled Chicken with Spinach adn Pine Nut Pesto

Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto

This recipe, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, is a great way to make a tasty and quick meal by serving it over wheat pasta or brown rice. Adding garlic or garlic scapes and adding basil to the base of the pesto are easy and delicious alterations.

INGREDIENTS
• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups lightly packed spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Garlic or Garlic Scapes- added to the pesto (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Lightly oil the grill pan. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
Combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a processor. Lightly pulse. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. Add salt and pulse. Put half of the pesto into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for future use. Transfer the rest of the spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the pesto over each piece of chicken and serve.
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