It’s as wholesome as it is delish! A crispy-skinned breast, basted with rich basil pesto and set atop quinoa, roast butternut, blistered baby tomatoes, and spinach. Sprinkled with pumpkin seeds, creamy feta, and fresh parsley.
Nourishing Pesto Chicken
Nourishing Pesto Chicken
with a roast butternut, baby tomato & quinoa salad
Hands on Time: 20 - 45 minutes
Overall Time: 35 - 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- Baby Spinach
- Baby Tomatoes
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Butternut
- Chicken
- Danish-style Feta
- Free-Range Chicken Breast Skin On
- Fresh Parsley
- Pesto Princess Basil Pesto
- Pumpkin Seeds
- White Quinoa
From your kitchen:
- Oil (cooking, olive or coconut)
- Salt & Pepper
- Water
- Paper Towel
- Butter
GET ROASTIN’
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the butternut chunks and rinsed baby tomatoes in a deep roasting tray. Coat in oil, season, and spread out evenly. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes, shifting halfway. On completion, the butternut should be cooked through and the tomatoes should have blistered.
PUT THE QUINOA ON
Rinse the quinoa and place in a pot. Submerge in 200ml of water, place over a medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer uncovered. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy and the tails have popped out, adding more water if required during the cooking process. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot. Cover with a lid and allow to stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
POPPIN’ SEEDS
Place a pan (that has a lid) over a medium heat. When hot, toast the pumpkin seeds for 3-5 minutes until beginning to pop and turn brown. Remove from the pan on completion and set aside to cool.
PESTO CHICKEN
When the roast is about halfway, return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Pat the chicken breast dry with some paper towel and season. When the pan is hot, fry the chicken skin-side down for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Flip, pop on the lid, and fry for a further 5-7 minutes until cooked through. On completion, add three-quarters of the basil pesto and a knob of butter, and baste the chicken for about a minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing, reserving the pan juices.
TOSS THE SALAD
When the roast is ready, remove the tray from the oven and stir through the cooked quinoa and rinsed baby spinach. If your tray isn’t big enough, simply transfer its contents to a salad bowl and then add in the quinoa and baby spinach. Toss together until the baby spinach is wilted, allowing the tomatoes to split open and smoosh with the quinoa. Be careful, the roasting tray will be hot! Pour over balsamic vinegar (to taste) and crumble in three-quarters of the drained feta. Toss again and season to taste.
TIME TO DEVOUR!
Plate up a generous heap of loaded quinoa and top with the slices of pesto chicken. Dollop with the remaining pesto and drizzle over the pan juices to taste. Garnish with the remaining feta, the toasted pumpkin seeds, and the chopped parsley. Delish, Chef!
Butternut - 250g
Baby Tomatoes - 100g
White Quinoa - 75ml
Pumpkin Seeds - 10g
Free-Range Chicken Breast (skin on) - 1
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 25ml
Baby Spinach - 20g
Balsamic Vinegar - 15ml
Danish-Style Feta - 40g
Fresh Parsley - 3g
GET ROASTIN’
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the butternut chunks and rinsed baby tomatoes in a deep roasting tray. Coat in oil, season, and spread out evenly. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes, shifting halfway. On completion, the butternut should be cooked through and the tomatoes should have blistered.
PUT THE QUINOA ON
Rinse the quinoa and place in a pot. Submerge in 400ml of water, place over a medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer uncovered. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy and the tails have popped out, adding more water if required during the cooking process. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot. Cover with a lid and allow to stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
POPPIN’ SEEDS
Place a pan (that has a lid) over a medium heat. When hot, toast the pumpkin seeds for 3-5 minutes until beginning to pop and turn brown. Remove from the pan on completion and set aside to cool.
PESTO CHICKEN
When the roast is about halfway, return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Pat the chicken breasts dry with some paper towel and season. When the pan is hot, fry the chicken skin-side down for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Flip, pop on the lid, and fry for a further 5-7 minutes until cooked through. On completion, add three-quarters of the basil pesto and a knob of butter, and baste the chicken for about a minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing, reserving the pan juices.
TOSS THE SALAD
When the roast is ready, remove the tray from the oven and stir through the cooked quinoa and rinsed baby spinach. If your tray isn’t big enough, simply transfer its contents to a salad bowl and then add in the quinoa and baby spinach. Toss together until the baby spinach is wilted, allowing the tomatoes to split open and smoosh with the quinoa. Be careful, the roasting tray will be hot! Pour over balsamic vinegar (to taste) and crumble in three-quarters of the drained feta. Toss again and season to taste.
TIME TO DEVOUR!
Plate up a generous heap of loaded quinoa and top with the slices of pesto chicken. Dollop with the remaining pesto and drizzle over the pan juices to taste. Garnish with the remaining feta, the toasted pumpkin seeds, and the chopped parsley. Delish, Chef!
Butternut - 500g
Baby Tomatoes - 200g
White Quinoa - 150ml
Pumpkin Seeds - 20g
Free-Range Chicken Breast (skin on) - 2
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 50ml
Baby Spinach - 40g
Balsamic Vinegar - 30ml
Danish-Style Feta - 80g
Fresh Parsley - 5g
GET ROASTIN’
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the butternut chunks and rinsed baby tomatoes in a deep roasting tray. Coat in oil, season, and spread out evenly. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes, shifting halfway. On completion, the butternut should be cooked through and the tomatoes should have blistered.
PUT THE QUINOA ON
Rinse the quinoa and place in a pot. Submerge in 400ml of water, place over a medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer uncovered. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy and the tails have popped out, adding more water if required during the cooking process. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot. Cover with a lid and allow to stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
POPPIN’ SEEDS
Place a pan (that has a lid) over a medium heat. When hot, toast the pumpkin seeds for 3-5 minutes until beginning to pop and turn brown. Remove from the pan on completion and set aside to cool.
PESTO CHICKEN
When the roast is about halfway, return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Pat the chicken breasts dry with some paper towel and season. When the pan is hot, fry the chicken skin-side down for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Flip, pop on the lid, and fry for a further 5-7 minutes until cooked through. On completion, add three-quarters of the basil pesto and a knob of butter, and baste the chicken for about a minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing, reserving the pan juices.
TOSS THE SALAD
When the roast is ready, remove the tray from the oven and stir through the cooked quinoa and rinsed baby spinach. If your tray isn’t big enough, simply transfer its contents to a salad bowl and then add in the quinoa and baby spinach. Toss together until the baby spinach is wilted, allowing the tomatoes to split open and smoosh with the quinoa. Be careful, the roasting tray will be hot! Pour over balsamic vinegar (to taste) and crumble in three-quarters of the drained feta. Toss again and season to taste.
TIME TO DEVOUR!
Plate up a generous heap of loaded quinoa and top with the slices of pesto chicken. Dollop with the remaining pesto and drizzle over the pan juices to taste. Garnish with the remaining feta, the toasted pumpkin seeds, and the chopped parsley. Delish, Chef!
Butternut - 500g
Baby Tomatoes - 200g
White Quinoa - 150ml
Pumpkin Seeds - 20g
Free-Range Chicken Breast (skin on) - 2
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 50ml
Baby Spinach - 40g
Balsamic Vinegar - 30ml
Danish-Style Feta - 80g
Fresh Parsley - 5g
GET ROASTIN’
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the butternut chunks and rinsed baby tomatoes in a deep roasting tray. Coat in oil, season, and spread out evenly. Roast in the hot oven for 35-40 minutes, shifting halfway. On completion, the butternut should be cooked through and the tomatoes should have blistered.
PUT THE QUINOA ON
Rinse the quinoa and place in a pot. Submerge in 800ml of water, place over a medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer uncovered. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy and the tails have popped out, adding more water if required during the cooking process. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot. Cover with a lid and allow to stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
POPPIN’ SEEDS
Place a large pan (that has a lid) over a medium heat. When hot, toast the pumpkin seeds for 3-5 minutes until beginning to pop and turn brown. Remove from the pan on completion and set aside to cool.
PESTO CHICKEN
When the roast is about halfway, return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Pat the chicken breasts dry with some paper towel and season. When the pan is hot, fry the chicken skin-side down for 6-8 minutes until crispy. Flip, pop on the lid, and fry for a further 5-7 minutes until cooked through. On completion, add three-quarters of the basil pesto and a knob of butter, and baste the chicken for about a minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing, reserving the pan juices.
TOSS THE SALAD
When the roast is ready, remove the tray from the oven and stir through the cooked quinoa and rinsed baby spinach. If your tray isn’t big enough, simply transfer its contents to a salad bowl and then add in the quinoa and baby spinach. Toss together until the baby spinach is wilted, allowing the tomatoes to split open and smoosh with the quinoa. Be careful, the roasting tray will be hot! Pour over balsamic vinegar (to taste) and crumble in three-quarters of the drained feta. Toss again and season to taste.
TIME TO DEVOUR!
Plate up a generous heap of loaded quinoa and top with the slices of pesto chicken. Dollop with the remaining pesto and drizzle over the pan juices to taste. Garnish with the remaining feta, the toasted pumpkin seeds, and the chopped parsley. Delish, Chef!
Butternut - 1kg
Baby Tomatoes - 400g
White Quinoa - 300ml
Pumpkin Seeds - 40g
Free-Range Chicken Breast (skin on) - 4
Pesto Princess Basil Pesto - 100ml
Baby Spinach - 80g
Balsamic Vinegar - 60ml
Danish-Style Feta - 160g
Fresh Parsley - 10g
Woolies Products in this dish
