Ingredients
For the Pesto*
- 1 cup raw shelled walnuts
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2/3 cup light flavored olive oil
- 3/4 tsp salt you can adjust to your taste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast**
For the Chicken:
- 1.5 lbs organic boneless skinless chicken breasts
- sea salt & pepper
- 4 slices tomato
- generous pinch Italian seasoning I used this one
- generous pinch nutritional yeast**
Instructions
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First, make the pesto while you preheat your oven to 400 F. You can also make the pesto the day before and store in the fridge to eliminate prep time.
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Add all of the pesto ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor (I used this one) and process/blend on high speed until a "paste" forms, stopping to scrape the sides and stir once or twice for even blending. Store the pesto in a covered container/jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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Place the chicken breasts in a well greased baking dish or cast iron skillet (I used this one) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then, generously spread the pesto all over the chicken (I went VERY generous!) and save the rest for another recipe.
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Top each piece of chicken with 2 tomato slices and a generous pinch of nutritional yeast** and Italian seasoning.
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Bake in the preheated 400 F oven for 25-30 minutes or until just cooked through. Slice chicken as desired and serve! Makes 4-6 servings.
Recipe Notes
*This pesto recipe makes more than you'll need for the chicken. Store the remaining pesto in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
**You can omit, or you can replace with parmesan cheese if you are okay with dairy and are not completing a Whole30.