Chicken with White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Salad and Avocado Basil Pesto

This is a great warm weather salad as it can all be served room temperature.  The avocado pesto is made without oil so it is a much lighter version than the traditional recipe.  If you want to feed a crowd, double the recipe and fire up the grill to do the chicken, everything else can be prepared well ahead.

Serves 6

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness

2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing chicken

2 cans Cannellini white beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

3 red peppers, cored, seeded and each cut into 16 pieces

1 Vidalia onion cut into quarters and leaves separated

(1 tablespoon of olive oil for roasting)

Lemon Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees
• On a parchment lined baking sheet toss the red peppers and onions with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt to taste. Spread them out in an even layer.
• Roast for about 30 minutes or until they are soft and spots are lightly browned.
• Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake to combine.
• Toss the roasted vegetables, beans, and the flat leaf parsley with 3 tablespoons of dressing.
• Heat a sauté pan to medium high heat and add the 2 tablespoons of butter and oil and sauté the chicken breasts until just cooked through and lightly brown. About 3 minutes per side, but depends on how thin they are.  Remove from the heat and allow them to rest and finish cooking.
• To serve, top the white bean salad with sliced chicken and a large spoonful of avocado pesto. Finish with a drizzle of the lemon dressing.