SIMPLY SCRUMPTIOUS: PESTO SEASON

Everyone I know who has an herb garden is scrambling to harvest the last of their basil, before the first serious cold front hits. What do you do with a tub full of basil? Why, you make pesto, of course! And, what's the very best thing to do with a freezer full of pesto? Well, you might start with that yummalicious Tomato Pesto Tart that I'm always yakkin' about. But what if you don't do carbs?

Recently there was a recipe popping up on Facebook that contained pretty much all the same ingredients as my tomato tart. The only difference was that, instead of piling said ingredients up on a tasty pastry crust, you mound them on boneless chicken breasts. Perfect for all my carb-phobic friends, right? So I decided to give it a try.

Preheat your oven to 400 F. You'll need one small boneless, skinless breast per person. I pounded the thick end down a bit, so it would cook more evenly. Place the breasts in a baking pan and spread with a layer of pesto. Top with some grated Mozzarella cheese and finish with some Roma tomato slices. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bake 40 minutes at 400 F. (more or less, depending on their thickness) et voila!

The only trick is keeping all the toppings on the meat! Of course, I think those crispy cheese bits left in the pan are the very best part, so I had no problem with that.  I have no problem with the occasional carb either, so I'll be keeping both this recipe and the one with the pastry crust, for both are simply scrumptious!