Saturday, January 7, 2012

Pesto made of broccoli?!

I was perusing through one of my new"ish" cookbooks, that I desperately needed, and came upon a recipe for broccoli pesto. What a fantastic idea!! I love broccoli and I love pesto! I also found a recipe for "Chicken Alfredo" in a Mr. Food cookbook, that I thought would work splendidly with the pesto. I "guinea pigged" the recipe on the family first and they all liked it! I then made a second batch for my BFF's birthday lunch. And she liked it, too. Success all around!! And it's healthy to boot. I baked a loaf of  (frozen) bread to sop up the excess sauce, but, I am sure pasta would work, as well.

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures, but, here's the recipe:

Broccoli Pesto
1 (12 oz) bag fresh broccoli florets (I used frozen.)
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup (or more) Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (I used finely chopped walnuts.)
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt.

Place broccoli in bowl and microwave at high 8 minutes  or until broccoli tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor.

While broccoli cooks, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, saute 2 minutes until garlic is lightly browned. Add garlic mixture, Parmesan cheese and the next 4 ingredients to food processor until smooth.

Put 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in soup pan and cook until thick. Add the broccoli pesto and cook until warmed through. Pour over breaded and lightly sauteed boneless/skinless chicken breasts, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

One a side note this week has been a packed full of birthday celebrations! My sis and BFFs! And it's all been crazy fun! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ALL!!


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