Cilantro Pesto Chicken Legs Recipes

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, place the pine nuts in a small dry skillet and set over medium heat. Toast the nuts until golden brown, about 3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Transfer the pine nuts to a blender or food processor and add cilantro, sour cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, adding water, as necessary, to create a thick paste. Serve the chicken with the pesto spooned over the top.

CILANTRO PESTO CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Put it all filling ingredients in a skillet
• heat it till the cream cheese melts,
• fill the corn tortillas (you can use flour shells, but they tend to get a bit mushy.)
• If you want to stretch the recipe, add cooked rice to the chicken, and if you do, then use 2 pkg of cream cheese and 2 cans of chilies.
• Cilantro Pesto sauce.
• Puree the first three ingredients (it easiest in the food processor)
• slowly drizzle in oil with (if u pour it all in, it separates).
• In a bowl, mix cilantro pesto with broth and cream.
• pour sauce over enchiladas, I usually just pour it down the center of each row of shells -- if you put too much on, it becomes a bit soggy --
• add more when serving.
• Recipe makes more pesto sauce than what you will need so you can either use it for dressing or something else or freeze the extra.
• Top with grated parm cheese and bake for 30 minute at 350.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO PESTO AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375*.
• Grease large roasting pan.
• Process Pesto ingredients in food processor until a smooth paste.
• Rub on chicken.
• Place chicken, potatoes and peppers in pan.
• Coat vegetables with cooking spray (or toss in plastic bag with 2 tbls. olive oil); season with salt and pepper.
• Bake 40 minutes, stirring vegetables after 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and chicken is opaque near bone.
• Serves 4.

ROAST CHICKEN LEGS WITH CILANTRO GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Season the chicken aggressively with salt and pepper, then place, skin-side up, in a shallow baking pan and toss with a drizzle or two of the olive oil. Dust with ground cumin and place in the oven.
• Roast the chicken until its skin is crisp and a knife inserted and removed from the flesh of the thigh results in clear juices, about 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• As the chicken cooks, combine the cilantro, lime juice, garlic and the remaining olive oil to make the gremolata. Sprinkle the gremolata over the chicken and serve, ideally with rice and beans.

FABULOUS CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and return water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain well.
• In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
• Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss.

CRUNCHY BAKED PESTO CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine panko, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Place chicken thighs onto the prepared baking sheet and coat each side with pesto. Press panko mixture onto chicken.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Place cilantro and cheese in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add walnuts and lime juice; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Serve with shrimp.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PISTACHIO-CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toast pistachios on baking sheet until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to processor. Maintain oven temperature. Add cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, cardamom, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper.
• Using fingers, gently loosen skin from 1 side of each chicken breast, forming pocket. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto evenly under skin of each. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook until skin is dark golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Place 1/2 cup remaining pesto into small bowl. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Drizzle pesto sauce over chicken breasts and serve.