Mozerella chicken

littlespicejar.com
INGREDIENTS:
4 small chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup chopped onions
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon EACH Italian seasoning AND red pepper flakes (see notes)
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato pesto (homemade or store-bought) (see notes)
salt and pepper + ¼ cup water
4 slices mozzarella cheese (or 1 cup shredded)
TO SERVE:
chopped parsley or basil + pasta or crusty bread
DIRECTIONS:

CHICKEN: Sprinkle the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat with the olive oil. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for about 3-5 minutes per side or until the chicken is completely cooked through, remove to a plate. If you are planning on serving this with pasta, get the water going and cook the pasta according to package directions.
TOMATO SAUCE: Preheat the oven on the broiler setting. Add the onions to the oil remaining in the pan. If there isn’t any, add in about ½ teaspoon and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes until the soften, add the garlic and let cook for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, dried basil, and pesto and stir to combine. When the sauce reaches a simmer, add a ¼ cup of water, lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
ASSEMBLE: Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce and using a spoon, cover the chicken with sauce. Top each breast with a slice of cheese. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese gets nice and bubbly and just melts. Top with chopped parsley or basil ribbons. Serve with pasta or crusty bread and a salad...


Homemade Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoons salt + 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor except the olive oil. Start the food processor and drizzle in the olive oil slowly while still mixing. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and adjust salt nad pepper to liking.
2. [b]STORING: [/b] leftover pesto can be stored in a jar that has a tight fitting lid. Pesto can be refrigerated for up to one week. You can also place pesto into ice cube molds and frozen for up to 2 months.