Baked Pesto Chicken

This post was originally published as Baked Pesto Chicken byLaurel on Health Food log.”

This Baked Pesto Chicken is something you can put together in 5 minutes, stick in the oven, and forget about for an hour. Nice! I like using organic chicken thighs because they’re inexpensive and guaranteed to be moist. But, feel free to use skin-on chicken breast or whatever pieces are your favorite.

Baked Pesto Chicken

4-5 chicken thighs (skin on)
4-5 heaping tsp. prepared pesto
½ lemon
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken thighs in a glass baking dish. Using your fingers, separate the skin from each thigh and spread 1 tsp. of pesto under the skin, on top of the meat. Replace skin on top of each thigh and drizzle olive oil on top of the skins. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. As soon as you take the chicken out of the oven, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of each thigh and let rest for 5 minutes before eating.

Tip 1: You can find prepared pesto in a jar near the tomato sauces in any grocery store. Look for all natural ingredients. Tip 2: For a comforting, home-style meal, serve these chicken thighs with boiled red potatoes and green beans.

Laurel on Health Food  is a blog about nutrition, healthy eating, and health food. It summarizes articles in the news, lists healthy recipes, offers tips and personal feedback on healthy eating, and reports on nutritional research.

Black Bean Soup with Avocado Recipe

This post was originally published as Black Bean Soup w/ Avocado by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Enjoy this easy and comforting meal that you can prepare in under 30 minutes. This soup is super creamy (thanks to the avocado) and rich in fiber, folate, protein, and healthy fats. Thanks so much to Beverly at Whole Foods Upper West Side for the inspiration!

Black Bean Soup with Avocado Recipe
(makes about 4-5 servings)

 

2 cans black beans
2 ripe avocados
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp. hot sauce (such as Sriracha)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt & pepper

Chop up the onion and sauté in a soup pot with the olive oil over medium-low heat until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the garlic, stir, and sauté for another minute. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, 1 tbsp. of the hot sauce, and a little salt and pepper. Add 1 can of black beans and the vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Pour the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Remove the skin and pit from the avocados and cut up into bite-sized pieces. Add half of the diced avocado to the ingredients in the blender and reserve the rest for garnish. Blend until smooth. Pour the blended ingredients back into your soup pot and add the other can of black beans. Stir, bring back to a simmer, and serve hot in bowls with the remaining avocado and hot sauce sprinkled on top for garnish.