Chicken Pesto Skewers With Chicken Thighs, Kale-Mozzarella Salad, and Lemon-Champagne Vinaigrette

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Meals

Ingredients

  • 1 Garlic Clove
  • 9 Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
  • 1 Shallot
  • 4 Chicken Thighs
  • 6 Wooden Skewers
  • 2 oz. Pesto
  • 1 Tbsp. Champagne Vinegar
  • 3 oz. Baby Kale
  • 2 oz. Fresh Mozzarella Pearls

Directions

  1. Turn on broiler. Place broiler rack to very top position. Prepare a baking sheet with foil. Thoroughly rinse produce and pat dry. Mince garlic. Halve cherry tomatoes. Halve lemon. Stem, seed, and dice yellow bell pepper into 1” pieces. Peel and mince shallot. Rinse chicken thighs and pat dry. On a separate cutting board, slice thighs into 18 3/4"-wide strips.

  2. Fold a chicken strip in half and thread onto skewer, followed by tomato half, and a piece of pepper. Repeat process twice, resulting in 3 pieces of each on the skewer. Repeat with remaining skewers. (Any extra tomatoes and bell pepper can be tossed with the salad.) Place assembled skewers on prepared baking sheet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Wash hands and cutting board thoroughly after handling raw chicken.

  3. Divide pesto in half. Brush skewers with half the pesto and fold foil over exposed ends of skewers to prevent burning. Wash your brush. Place prepared skewers in broiler and cook 6 minutes. Remove from broiler, turn skewers over, and brush again with remaining pesto on all sides. Return to broiler and cook 6-8 minutes, or until chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. Discard remaining pesto, as it has been in contact with raw chicken and should not be served.

  4. In a small bowl, combine garlic, champagne vinegar, shallot (to taste), juice of half the lemon, 2 tsp. olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside.

  5. Divide baby kale between 2 plates and evenly distribute fresh mozzarella and any remaining peppers or tomatoes on top of kale. Nestle 3 skewers atop the salad. Drizzle champagne vinaigrette over salad and garnish with remaining lemon.

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