I’m currently writing this post on the drive down to Savannah (SO excited for our weekend getaway) but doing this in the car is not easy. And not because I get motion sick or anything.. but because I can’t stand not paying full attention to the road even though I’m not the one driving. As annoying as it is for my husband (he should be used to it by now), I am totally a backseat or passenger, in this case, driver. You could be the best driver in the entire world and I would still want to stare directly at the road in the front of us and warn you of any brake lights ahead or anyone getting over in your lane. It’s just how I am and I can’t help it. So as I’m typing away I am also glancing up every once in a while to warn him of any possibility of danger or to tell him to slow down. And now that I’ve confessed that, you probably never want me to ride in your car, ever. I can understand that.
So I just realized that this is the second recipe this week that involves basil, pesto and tomatoes.. oops. The reason I am posting another recipe involving those ingredients was because I had them leftover from the Peso Spaghetti Squash I made earlier this week. And as I’ve said in a previous post, I don’t like to waste things. I really, really like caprese salad. It just tastes so fresh and flavorful, especially if you use good, quality ingredients. If anything involves fresh basil, count me in.
As for the balsamic glaze, I actually use a Barrel Aged Balsamic I found at Marshall’s (my favorite place on earth) and the brand of it is Napa Valley Wine Country Kitchens. Every now and then they have it in stock and when they do I clear the shelf. It’s that good. The reason I like it is because it’s very thick and bold, like a balsamic reduction but it’s just barrel aged which gives it that rich, full flavor. You can also make your own glaze or reduction very easily by following the steps I outlined in the recipe.
I hope to take pictures of the food we eat on this culinary tour we’re doing today. I say ‘hope’ because I know myself well enough to know that I will get so consumed by what’s going on and all the delicious food that I will completely forget to pull out the camera to snap some shots. I also get kind of shy when it comes to taking pictures of my food in public. I almost feel the need to inform people that I am taking the pictures for my food blog, not for social media. Because nowadays so many people are taking pictures of their food for their snapchat or instagram (which I’m not bashing by the way, I definitely do it) but I feel like people judge me and just think I’m another basic millennial that feels the need to let the world know what I’m eating. Which is kind of what I am doing on this blog I guess.. but hopefully most people enjoy it!
- 5 cups spring mix lettuce
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons pesto
- 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- sliced fresh mozzarella
- 1 avocado, diced
- balsamic reduction or glaze (amount based on preference)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place chicken breasts in a foil lined baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper and then spread the pesto on top of the chicken.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Thinly slice the chicken and set aside.
- Distribute the lettuce in 4 separate large bowls. Evenly distribute the sliced chicken, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella and avocado on top of the lettuce in each bowl.
- Drizzle each salad with the balsamic glaze.
- Bring one cup of balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the vinegar is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer.
- Continue to cook the vinegar until it thickens into a syrupy consistency and it reduces to half the amount or less. Let cool.
January 28, 2017 at 5:05 pm
That sounds easy enough….I really need to eat like this! By the way, I LOVE your title/blog nameand the design. So cute! Hope you have lots of fun in Savannah and maybe even get inspiration for a new recipe or two. 😊
February 1, 2017 at 2:06 am
Thank you! 🙂 We had a great time! We ate very well! Nothing really healthy enough to give me inspiration haha but it all was very good!