Pesto Chicken Salad

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Recipe from Jenn Cuisine

I really wanted something pretty light and easy to make for dinner last night. I came across this recipe by Jenn last week, and it seemed to fit the bill! I love fresh pesto, and I really like the idea of adding yogurt to it to make it a bit creamier.

This was delicious. Really, really good! And, it's just as good, if not better, the next day! (I had it for lunch today.) I definitely recommend you try this recipe out.

The only change that I made is that I skipped the olives, and used tomatos instead. I really hate olives. :)

I really liked the almonds with this dish. I thought they really added to the meal, and I liked the different texture that they contributed.

Finally - the yogurt really made this pesto. Sometimes I feel like it can have an almost grainy texture to it, but with the creaminess of the yogurt, it really balanced it out.

Pesto
Ingredients:
2 c basil
4 c arugula
juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c EVOO
1/4 c grated Parm
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 c plain yogurt (use Greek if you can!)
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place the basil and arugula in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add in remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Use immediately or place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

(I actually made this a couple of days in advance. Just put it in an airtight container and it will be fine. It was a bit thick when I opened it back up, but I mixed in about 1 T EVOO, and it was perfect.)

Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
3 c shredded chicken, cooked
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 c onion, chopped (I used a bit less, as I didn't want a very strong onion flavor)
1/4 c sliced almonds, toasted
1 c Pesto
Arugula or other greens

Directions:
Combine the chicken, celery, tomato and onion in a large bowl. Add the pesto and almonds and gently mix together.

Serve over a bed of arugula (or greens of choice) and sprinkle with a few more toasted almonds.

Enjoy!!