Chicken is a staple in our house, that and minced steak. We could easily have chicken everyday during the week, chicken with: potatoes, pasta, cous cous, noodles, bread, tortillas...on and on. Honestly, it can get a little boring eating the same dinners over and over again. I'm not saying I don't like chicken-don't get me wrong, I lurve chicken! My favourite thing about it? Hands down its versatility.
During the week when everybody's just in from work, school or college it's the easiest thing to bung in the oven and you've got dinner within 30 to 45 minutes .
I had a vision. I pictured this dish. I do that, quite a bit-envisage dishes or desserts when I'm in college, driving, painting my nails, cooking another dish, flipping through cookbooks or just laying in bed. Just about 99% of my day is taken up by food-the cooking of it, photographing of it, researching of it, eating of it, buying of it and concocting of it.
I can't remember what I was doing when I thought of this recipe but I suppose it's a combination of many things I love-the combination of juicy chicken and tart goat's cheese, oven roasted vegetables and fresh and vibrant pesto. Everything goes on one tray at various stages and dinner is on the table in 45 minutes.
Look at how the goat's cheese and pesto melts over the oven roasted vegetables. So dreamy.
Enjoy,
Holly, x
This recipe uses carrot, parsnip, red onion and sweet potato. You could add some butternut squash or celeriac if you like!
Chop the vegetables into chunks-the sweet potato and parsnip bigger than the carrot as the carrot will take longer to cook.
Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and get a roastin' for 25 minutes.
Wrap each chicken breast in a slice of Parma ham...
...after the vegetables have had 25 minutes in the oven, lay the chicken on top and allow to roast for another 15 minutes.
As the chicken is cooking-grate the hard goat's cheese...
and mix with the pesto and milk.
After the chicken has had 15 minutes, dollop the pesto-goats cheese mixture around and toss over a few halved cherry tomatoes.
Roast for another 5-10 minutes.
Recipe, Serves 5 generously
2 Large Sweet Potatoes
3 Medium Red Onion
4 Parsnips
4 Carrots
5 Chicken Breasts
5 Slices Parma Ham
2 Tablespoons of Milk
100g Hard Goats Cheese
Handful Cherry Tomatoes
2 Heaped Tablespoons Pesto
Basil Leaves
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Line a roasting tray with a sheet of baking parchment.
Chop the the sweet potato and parsnip into 2 inch chunks, the carrot into 1 inch chunks and the red onions into sixths.
Place the vegetables on the lined roasting tray-drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss.
Place in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.
In the meantime wrap each chicken breast in a slice of Parma ham.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and lay the Parma wrapped chicken on top.
Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking-grate the goat's cheese into a bowl and mix with the pesto and milk.
Half the cherry tomatoes.
Remove the chicken from the oven-dollop the goats cheese in and around the chicken and vegetables and scatter the cherry tomatoes over.
Return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes break down ever so slightly and the cheese melts..
Scatter with fresh basil leaves before serving.
Mmmmm.