Castilian Chicken with Spanish Pesto

Chicken

Difficulty: Easy Servings: 4 Source:

Ingredients

4 chicken breast halves boneless, skinless

3 lemons divided

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 envelope Sazon con Azafran

2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika

1/4 cup Spanish olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

parsley sprigs

1/2 cup pimiento stuffed olives


Spanish Pesto:

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup pitted Spanish olives

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans drained

1/3 cup Spanish olive oil

1/2 cup Spanish pimientos

1/2 cup manchego cheese finely grated

Directions

Rub chicken with juice of 1 lemon; sprinkle with salt. In small bowl, mix together cocoa powder, sazon and paprika; rub liberally over chicken.

In large nonstick frypan over medium heat, place olive oil. Add chicken and cover. Cook 8 minutes, turning often.

Add garlic and cook about 6 minutes more, turning often. Slice chicken breasts across grain and arrange on platter, fanning slightly. Sprinkle with juice of ½ lemon and drizzle with Spanish Pesto. Garnish with olives, parsley and remaining lemon, sliced.

Spanish Pesto: In food processor, place parsley, olives, minced garlic and garbanzo beans. Pulse, adding Spanish olive oil and pimientos. Empty into bowl and stir in finely grated manchego cheese.

Notes

Leah Lyon
Ada, OK
2005 Finalist