Paleo Italiano!

I used to make this chicken pesto pasta, for Chris, all the time!  We both loved it, and it made me sad when I had to say bye bye to pasta...  I had a hankering for it last week and decided to try it without the pasta and loved it!  This is another versatile recipe that you can add to or take away whatever you like!

Pesto Chicken 

Start by making the pesto sauce.  The longer this stuff sits, the better.  The flavors of the ingredients meld together best overnight or if made first thing in the morning.  But no sweat, it still works well in a pinch for time.

• 2 cups fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 1/2 TBS Red wine vinegar
• 1tsp salt
• 1/3 cup light tasting olive oil

Toss ingredients in blender and bled until everything is coarsely chopped.  Refrigerate until use. The olive oil might harden, just let the sauce rest at room temperature for a few minutes if this happens.

 Next you will need:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Italian Sausages with skins
• 1 bag of baby spinach chopped
• 1 15oz can of artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/2 jar of olive oil packed sun dried tomatoes, sliced
• 15 oz can of large black olives, sliced( or you could just buy two small already sliced cans)
• 1/2 cup sliced white onion
• 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, stalks cut into 3 sections
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP Coconut oil
• 1 TSP garlic salt
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Simmer chicken until thoroughly cooked in the chicken broth, discard any remaining broth.   Next, cook sausage in the same pan until thoroughly cooked.   Slice chicken and sausage into bite sized pieces, set aside.  Next, saute the bell pepper and onion in coconut oil.  When onion and pepper is almost done, add garlic and spinach, stir until spinach wilted.   In microwave safe covered dish, add asparagus, olive oil and garlic salt, microwave on high for 3 min.. asparagus should be cooked al dente.

In a large pot toss together the pepper/spinach saute with the olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, asparagus,  sliced sausage, and chicken.  Toss with pesto, adding the pesto slowly.  Add as much or little pesto as you like to suit your taste.  Top with sliced almonds and serve.