Saleena: pesto

Chicken Spinach Pesto Soup

Yes, it has been perfect weather for making soup here in So Cal, which means it is probably soup weather in most of the country. Have you made a good soup lately? I would love to give it a try :] Post a comment below with a link to the recipe and I just may feature it. I found this recipe on EatingWell.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divide

1/2 cup carrot (or if you're funny about cooked carrots, use bell pepper)

1/2 onion, chopped (I added)

2 cups shredded chicken

1 large clove garlic, minced

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram (I didn't have any, so I used a mixture of Thyme and Basil)

6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add carrot (or bell pepper) and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.

Stir in broth and marjoram (or basil & thyme); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.

Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot.

Serve with croutons, french bread, or saltines :]

This soup is pretty darn good. And the best part? It's healthy!

According to EatingWell, the nutrition facts are as follows:

Nutrition

Per serving: 204 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 29 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 6 g fiber; 691 mg sodium; 529 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Folate & Vitamin C (20% dv).

You can't really beat that.

I've already made this twice in two weeks! Which is a big deal, because I am always making new things. Can't wait to try out your soup recipes! Leave a link below :]

<3 Saleena

Tomato and Almond Pesto with Penne

The great thing about this dish is how easy it is. Seriously. Throw everything into a food processor to get your sauce, and just cook the chicken and pasta separately and then you're done! Who doesn't love simple meals with a quick clean up? I altered this recipe a bit. I put my changes in purple in case you'd like to leave them out, but I thought the additions made this recipe much better.

Instructions:
1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves ( +1/4 cup basil leaves)
1 large garlic clove , minced (+ 1 garlic clove)

1 small pepperoncini, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes

1 can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta
2-3 chicken breasts

Directions:

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, salt & pepper, chicken stock and red pepper flakes in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute.

Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, cook chicken in skillet and season with salt and pepper.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot. Add pesto and chicken to cooked pasta and stir to combine!