Grilled Kale Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Skewers

by Healthy Kitchen Chef Carrie Adams

 

Whether you're grilling out for a bunch of friends at your house or just sitting down with your family for a summer dinner, this recipe will be the star at any meal. The H3 Healthy Kitchen Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Skewer combines fresh summer vegetables, juicy chicken and a delicious Kale pesto. You can even mix it but by using other proteins, like beef or shrimp and different vegetables like eggplant.



Ingredients:

2 each Chicken breast (4 ounces), large dice

½ each Yellow bell pepper, large dice

8 each Cherry tomato

½ cup Zucchini, skin on, large dice

4 each 8-inch wooden or metal skewer

Pesto:

1 bunch Kale, stems and ribs removed

½ bunch Flat leaf parsley, chopped

3 Tablespoons Pine nuts, toasted

1 each Garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon Lemon juice, fresh

Pinch Red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon Olive oil



Method:

• Preheat grill and oven to 375 degrees F.

Pesto:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.


• Wash and roughly chop the kale. Blanch the kale in the boiling water for 2 minutes.


• Remove the kale from water and strain, press water from the leaves.


• Add parsley, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped then scrape down the edges.


• Transfer drained kale into the food processor. While the processor is on, slowly add oil in a steady stream.


• If the kale mixture is too thick, thin it out by adding water. Pulse until desired texture is achieved.

Assembly:

• Soak wooden skewers overnight in water.


• Mix vegetables and chicken with ¼ cup pesto, massaging the pesto all over these ingredients.


• Skewer alternating chicken and vegetables on each of the four skewers.


• Mark on the grill, rotating to each side after 1 minute (4 minutes total on the grill).


• Place on a greased sheet pan and cook in oven 7-10 minutes or until chicken has reached 160 degrees F, checking with a meat probe.


• Let it rest 3-5 minutes so they can carry over and cook to 165 degrees F.


• Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition:

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1 skewer

Calories: 100

Fat: 3.5 grams