Italian Crusted Chicken with Pesto Zucchini Brown Rice. Refreshing and easy, this is the summer meal for your dinner table.
I cannot tell you how savory and bright this wonderful summer dish is! If only I could explain how much of a hot mess I was when I made this dish. The baby just started getting fussy when - bam! The power went out. Luckily, I had just taken everything off of the stove (thank goodness this only takes 25 minutes) and we took our meals on the back patio to eat.
Let me tell you, this meal was MEANT to eat on a back patio on a summer day. I'm just going to say there was magic in this dish, because just like that, my evening turned around with one bite.
Do you want some magic? Make this dish!
Recipe
Ingredients:
Italian Crusted Chicken 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breasts 4 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper
Pesto Zucchini Brown Rice 1 cup Brown Rice 2/3 cup Basil Pesto 1 Zucchini 1/2 cup Chopped Sweet Cherry Peppers
Lemon
Instructions:
Cook your favorite brown rice (boxed or 90 second, no judgement!) according to package instructions. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Pat chicken dry and cover liberally to create a crust with the Italian Seasoning and salt & pepper to your preference. I usually put about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper per piece.
In a pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil until hot on medium high. Add the chicken to the pan, about 6 minutes per side, or until brown and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a separate plate, leave brown chicken bits in the bottom of the pan, set aside.
Slice zucchini into rounds and then again into quarters. Roughly chop the sweet peppers. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan, add the zucchini in an even layer and cook about 5 minutes or until lightly softened.
To the bowl of reserved rice, add the pesto, peppers, zucchini, salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside the chicken and a squeeze of lemon to take it over the edge!
Enjoy!