Between pasta, pizza and baguettes, pesto has had a long love affair with carbs. But it’s about time the fresh green sauce sees other people, including those on a low-carb or gluten-free diet. Enter: pesto-stuffed chicken. Made from fresh cilantro, shredded coconut and pistachios, you get a pesto that’s unlike any you’ve had before. It’s fresh, sweet and completely satisfying. So you won’t miss those noodles for one minute.
Ingredients
4 whole chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves
2 bunches cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup pistachios, unshelled
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine cloves, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, coconut, pistachios, 1/4 cup olive oil and lemon juice. Process until smooth.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut into chicken breasts but do not cut all the way through. Fill the pockets with pesto mixture.
4. Season both sides of chicken breasts with other 1/4 cup olive oil, plus garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and sea salt.
5. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and bake 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.