the whole family will love. Chicken is lightly pounded and seasoned then wrapped around asparagus and turnips or parsnips. Baked in the oven and serve with an easy, homemade Kale Pesto. This dish gets its flavor from Italian-style seasoning, fresh oregano and thyme.
COOKING TIPS:
Chicken breasts these days are huge! Cover the breast with parchment paper and use the flat side of a mallet or stainless steel meat pounder to flatten out the breasts
Slice the pounded out chicken breasts in half. Then wrap each half around the asparagus and turnip or parsnip
To serve as an appetizer, slice cooked bundle into “rounds”
Prep the bundles the day before
and bake just before serving. Serve bundles as a whole or slice into medallions. Reduce fat in the recipe by topping with a homemade tomato sauce instead of the Kale Pesto. Not a fan of kale? Substitute spinach or shaved broccoli florets.
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Recipe
Chicken Asparagus Bundles with Kale Pesto
Beef & Poultry
Chicken Asparagus Bundles with Kale Pesto include red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, and parsnips for a delicious dinner or slice as an appetizer
Ingredients
2 cups fresh kale leaves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
Juice of ½ lemon
Black pepper and salt to taste
4 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian-style seasoning
½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
12 medium asparagus, root end trimmed
1 large turnip (or parsnip), julienned
Instructions
Make pesto: blend kale, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, cayenne, cumin, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender.
Season with pepper and salt, as desired.
Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375*.
Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper.
Use the flat side of a meat pounder to pound out chicken to about ¼ to ½ inch thick.
Using a pastry brush, brush one side of chicken breast with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Season each equally with Italian-style seasoning, red pepper flakes, oregano and thyme leaves.
Place 3 asparagus and 3 to 4 turnip strips toward one side of chicken.
Fold edge of chicken over turnip and asparagus and roll into a bundle.
Secure with a toothpick.
Place chicken bundles on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 -35 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve with 2 tablespoons Kale Pesto.
Store any leftover pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Use on other chicken dishes, fish, pasta, or as a vegetable dip.
**For a lower fat version, serve chicken with homemade tomato sauce instead of Kale Pesto.
