pesto chicken with homemade gnocchi

If I had been a little more organized I would have picked up some tomato pesto for the gnocchi and maybe served some yellow squash on the side to make for a prettier picture!  The dish is looking kind of bland in my shot but don't let that stop you from making it because it is so simple and so delicious!


For some reason, I own every single South Beach Diet cookbook ever made.  I never actually went on the diet but must have felt the need to feed my cookbook purchasing addiction at some point.  I'm glad I did because I found several really easy recipes that I serve alongside a heaping scoop of carbohydrates.


The chicken dish can be prepared ,in a 9 X 13 dish, the night before (it doesn't need to sit overnight).  It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and that includes clean up!   The gnocchi takes about 20 minutes total (including clean up).  Make the gnocchi ahead of time, refrigerate and store in an airtight container until ready to boil.


Pesto Chicken

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup Pesto (store bought)

2 ounces Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese(1/2 cup)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto in a

9- by 13-inch baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread with remaining pesto.  Sprinkle cheese over chicken and bake, uncovered for about 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi by Tessa Kiros

2 c. good quality ricotta cheese

3 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 c. all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.

2. While the water is heating up, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, flour and salt in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

3. Lightly flour your hands and roll out the dough into thin sausages about 1/4″ thick. Be careful not to add too much flour on your hands or the surface of the counter or the gnocchi will get tough.

4. Cut gnocchi with a sharp knife into pieces about 3/4″ long. Drop into boiling water and cook for about 45 seconds, or until they float to the surface (once they float to the surface, let them cook for about 10 seconds). Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowls. Serve with pesto, tomato sauce or any topping you choose.