Nothing says spring like pesto! Along with this delicious basil sauce, the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s April recipe includes chicken, tomato, garlic, and even more basil. It’s healthy and a hit at any dinner party!
Research shows that dietary factors can help to reduce the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer in patients after diagnosis, including eating cruciferous vegetables (think broccoli, certain leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, etc.) tomatoes, and olive oil, and avoiding foods such as whole milk and red and processed meats. With this recipe, you’ll adhere to these nutrition goals by getting your fill of tomatoes cooked in olive oil and opting for skinless poultry instead of red meat.
We recommend cooking a batch of Brussels sprouts as a delicious side with this main dish. Adding just a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper to your sprouts and roasting them is an easy way to make them shine. Bake some sweet potatoes as an additional side and your meal is ready!
Pesto and Tomato Chicken
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 oz each)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 oz cocktail tomatoes OR 2-3 medium to large tomatoes, cut into ¼ – ½ inch slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Pesto (homemade or store bought)
To serve:
- 1 ½ cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
- Pat chicken dry and cut the chicken lengthwise in half (to make the chicken thinner). Season the chicken on both sides with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté tomatoes until they are soft and/or blistered. Once cooked, use a spoon to remove the tomatoes and place them on a plate. Set the plate aside.
- Leave leftover tomato remnants in the pan and put in the garlic. Stir until garlic is golden. Once finished cooking, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the garlic and transfer to the plate with the tomatoes. Set the plate aside.
- Leaving the remaining oil and tomato and garlic remnants, increase heat to medium-high and place chicken in the pan. Sauté chicken until golden on the bottom, approximately 6 minutes. If the chicken darkens too quickly, lower heat. Flip and cook for approximately 5 more minutes, then cover the pan and cook 2-3 minutes more (or until chicken is cooked through). Once chicken is finished cooking, use a spatula or tongs to transfer chicken to a platter or four separate plates.
- Pour juices from the pan over the chicken. Spoon pesto on top of the chicken. Follow by placing cooked tomatoes and garlic on and around the chicken.
- Garnish with basil.
Adapted from Susan Spungen’s NYT Cooking Recipe, Chicken Caprese.