This baked chicken breast recipe is an answer to the constant question of what to make for dinner. The key is the jalapeno sauce which would work as well atop roasted vegetables as it would on grilled salmon.
1cupfresh mint leavesor parsley or cilantro or a mix
2green onions (aka scallions)trimmed and thinly sliced
2teaspoonsfreshly squeezed lime juice
1/2cupfinely grated Pecorino Romano cheeseplus more for garnish
1/3cupextra-virgin olive oilplus more for garnish
Instructions
Make The Chicken Marinade: Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil, a pinch of salt, a few cranks of pepper, all but 1 clove of the garlic, 4 teaspoons of the lime juice, onion, wine, and broth in a blender or food processor and process until very smooth.
Place chicken in a large (about 13-by-9-inch) ovenproof baking dish, season with a few pinches of salt then pour the garlic mixture on top and cover with aluminum foil.TIP: Chicken can be prepared up through this step up to 8 hours ahead. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to bake.
Bake The Chicken: Place dish into oven and bake for 15 minutes. Pull back the foil and baste the chicken by spooning the garlic mixture over the chicken. Cover the dish with the foil and return to oven and continue to cook, basting the chicken every 15 minutes. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife, about 45 minutes total. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
Make The Jalapeño Pesto: Combine the remaining olive oil (about 1/3 cup), pistachios, jalapeño, remaining clove of garlic, remaining 2 teaspoons of lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a small food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.
Add a pinch of pepper, the mint, and half of the scallions, then process until well combined but finely ground and not totally smooth. Add a splash of water and the cheese and pulse to just incorporate (you want the pesto to remain pretty loose and to have a finely ground texture -- it will not be totally smooth). Taste and add more salt or pepper as desired. TIP: Pesto can be made up to 4 days ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
Serve the chicken topped with a large dollop of pesto, a pinch of the remaining scallions, and drizzle with a little olive oil.