Chicken Milanese over Penne with Fresh Pesto

This is another great weeknight dinner that is tasty and impressive enough that you could serve it for a dinner party. It requires a minimal amount of ingredients, and if you buy chicken breast tenders then you don't have to pound the breasts to get them thin enough to cook. Usually Chicken Milanese is quite a process- you have to dip the chicken in flour, egg, and then bread crumbs. It makes a pretty big mess so I don't do it very often. In this recipe I use mayonnaise instead of the flour/egg to help the bread crumbs stick to the chicken breasts- it also gives the chicken and wonderful flavor. I also add some parmesan cheese to the crumbs to make the coating more flavorful and crunchy. The pesto is super easy- I make it in the mini cuisinart food processor which is a great kitchen tool for small batches of anything and only about $40. You could serve this with some crusty french bread or a salad, but I just served it with fresh sliced tomatoes on the side to give the dish a little color.

Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:
-2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch each, or 4 chicken breast tenders
-2-3 tbs mayonnaise
-1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
-1/2 cup of bread crumbs
-1 tsp each salt and pepper
-2 tbs olive oil for cooking

Directions:
-Heat oil in a skillet over medium high.
-Mix the parmesan with the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.
-Spread a very thin layer of mayonnaise on each chicken breast.
-Dip coated breasts into bread crumb mixture and coat each side.
-Sautee for about 3 minutes on each side, until chicken breasts are browned and crisp on the outside, and cooked through on the inside.

Fresh Pesto

Ingredients:
-1 or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled
-2/3 cup of fresh basil leaves, most of the stems removed (I bought a bunch at the store and cut the stems off. It is fine to leave some of the stems since they are getting chopped up).
-1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
-1/4 cup pine nuts
-1/4 cup olive oil
-salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

Directions:
-Put garlic in food processor, process until finely chopped.
-Add basil, parmesan, and pine nuts. Process until finely chopped.
-Add olive oil and continue to process until everything is mixed and looks like a thick paste.
-Note: Pesto freezes well, so if you make extra, put it into a jar, coat the top with a layer of olive oil (to prevent pesto from getting brown) and when you defrost stir it in.
-Toss with 1/2 pound (1/2 a box) of pasta. I used penne but pesto is also great with spaghetti or any other pasta.