basil – AT-AT Everywhere

Tomatoes this past summer were SO delicious! One great thing about the Indian summer we had this year (and seemingly every year in LA lately) is the bounty of sweet tomatoes it’s brought us.

I saw this recipe on Kitchn a few weeks ago and was looking forward to giving it a whirl. Instead of regular tomatoes, I used baby tomatoes since they are firmer and sweeter. Here’s the recipe!

DIRECTIONS:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup baby tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups long-grain brown rice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
1/3 cup lightly packed chopped fresh basil leaves

INGREDIENTS:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute more. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Tomato Rice Mixture
Transfer the rice mixture to the prepared baking dish. Pour the broth evenly over the rice. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides and place them skin-side up on the rice.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. Uncover and bake until the rice absorbs all of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear, 30 to 40 minutes more.
Bubbling Out of the Oven

NOTE: Kitchn says that leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. While this is true from a food spoilage standpoint, I would argue that this recipe is best eaten the day you make it. The rice will be fine, but the chicken skin will not stay crispy in the fridge and we ended up just pulling it off when we ate the leftovers.

I served this dish up with a bit of broccolini roasted at 400°F for 15 minutes, adding a sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper and sea salt and a squeeze of lemon once out of the oven.

I can’t say enough how much I love those sun-dried tomatoes from Trader Joe’s. I use them in everything – salads, omelettes, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, you name it! I found a great recipe in an issue of Womens Health magazine for a sun-dried tomato pesto last year and finally got around to making it in January …and now I’m finally getting around to writing about it. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

PESTO:

1/2 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano or basil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil

PASTA AND SHRIMP:

10 ounces angel hair pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

To make the pesto:

1. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and let soak for 10 minutes, or until softened. Drain and reserve the liquid.

2. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor (a blender works just fine too). Add the walnuts and garlic and process briefly to combine. Add the whole tomatoes, parsley, oregano or basil, cheese, and oil and process until smooth. Add just enough of the reserved tomato soaking liquid to form a paste; process again until smooth.

To make the pasta and shrimp:

3. Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a serving bowl.

4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque. Sprinkle with the black pepper and salt.

5. Place in the bowl with the pasta and top with the pesto. Toss well to combine.

I really hate prepping shrimp, so I don’t make shrimp dishes very often. The de-veining process is so tedious and… well, gross. I mean really, is there nothing worse than pulling a string of poop out of a dead animal that you are about to then eat? I will say that it was so worth it at least for this recipe. I loved this dish probably more than the last shrimp dish I made (also found in Womens Health).

If I have somehow managed to not destroy your appetite with that last sentiment and you are thinking about making this, note that the pesto can be tightly covered and stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer. You can put the pesto in ice cube trays, freeze them, and thaw the cube for use as the perfect individual-sized portion of pesto for a plate of pasta!