Jalapeno Pesto Chicken (and the giveaway winner!)

This was the first meal I made for us when we moved into our new house!  It's taken me a bit of time to post it, but never late than never is what I always say!!  This is a fantastic recipe by one of my grilling idols.  I do not give Robyn the Grill Girl enough props (ok, ok, any props) and I apologize for that.  I think it's because I might actually be jealous of her. lol  Seriously, she's got an amazing set up, she's amazingly talented, she does grilling instructional videos.. I mean the list goes on and on and on :)  Or it could be that I'm intimidated by her abilities on the grill.  She is a true master and I worry that I will not be worthy.  Whichever personal issue that I may be faced with, I cannot go on any longer without at least mentioning her because, honestly, she really is who I want to be when I grow up!  If that's wrong, I don't wanna to be right!! haha!

In all seriousness, this recipe really is DE-licious!  It's spicy, it's wonderful, I don't know what else to say about it other then TRY IT.  Go now and do it if you can, you will not be sorry.. would I lie to you about anything?  Especially when it comes to grilling??  Of course not... so make this.... soon.  Oh, and don't forget to make a little sauce for your chicken.  Save at least 1 Tablespoon of your pesto - mix it with some mayo.. VIOLA!

Ok, Ok... I've wasted enough of your time, haven't I?  I know what you are all here for...

The winner of the great vanilla bean giveaway is:

#19 is Chris at Nibble Me This - Chris said:  "I would have to do some crazy version of creme brulee"  (I'm going to hold you to that, Chris)

Congratulations to Chris and a big thanks to everyone for the wonderful response this giveaway received!  I love that I've even seen some new readers.  Welcome to you all and of course, thank you to all my loyal readers.  You all make this incredibly fun.  And to be able to give away such a great product feels incredibly good.  Remember, all Whitney's vanilla beans are extremely well priced, so stop by IndriVanilla and order yours today!

Jalapeno Pesto Chicken
Recipe slightly adapted from Robyn the Grill Girl
- Serves 2 - 
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 limes, juiced and zested
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, loosely packed (you can use cilantro - Chris doesn't like cilantro so I used parsley instead)
3 jalapenos, stems removed, roughly chopped (if you want less heat, remove seeds too)
2 garlic cloves, quartered
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions:
Add the lime juice, lime zest, parsley, jalapenos, and garlic to a bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until everything is pretty well chopped up.  Slowly add in the olive oil until it is fully incorporated and smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reserve 1 Tablespoon of pesto.  Pour remaining pesto over chicken and let marinate for at least 4 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add the mayo and the reserved sauce.  Stir to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F.  Oil the grill grates.  Place the chicken over the fire and grill for 6-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Serve with sauce.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Spicy Chicken Masala