The Kidlet has been taking a cooking class and has been bringing home the excess ingredients. We ended up getting a huge influx of cilantro this way and this recipe seemed like an excellent way to use it up.

It was cold and gloomy outside, so I opted to cook the chicken on the stove rather than on the grill as directed. I also added a few extra spices to the sauce and had to supplement the cilantro quantity with some parsley since the first bundle of cilantro had gone off by the time I got to making this. It was still very good though. The Kidlet even declared it a favourite! And it went nicely with the leftover couscous we had in the fridge from an earlier meal.

Chicken with Cilantro and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Pesto

• 1/2 c. raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 c. packed fresh cilantro
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 3-4 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeño, seeded
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. creole seasoning (optional)

Chicken

• ~750g skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 Tbsp. schmaltz (or olive oil)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes.
3. Purée toasted pumpkin seeds with cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, salt, and creole seasoning (if using).
4. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken.
5. Melt the schmaltz (or olive oil) over medium-high heat.
6. Add the chicken and cook until seared (~4 minutes per side).
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
8. Serve chicken over couscous, rice, pasta, or substrate of your choice and top with pesto.