Live Like A Student- Eat Like A King: Pesto roasted Vegetables and Wrapped Chicken

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Why not chip in with your flat mates to buy the ingredients and you can buy this meal for next to nothing - I live in a flat with 4 blokes and it only cost us £3 each - that’s cheaper than most instant meals and your left with shit loads of spare ingredients for other meals.

Equipment Needed;

1 x Frying Pan
1 x Roasting Tray
1 x Knife
1 x Chopping Board
1 x Blender (if not a whisk will do)
Tin Foil

Ingredients;

(serves 4)

Throughout this ingredients list I have provided cheap substitutes in brackets for the most expensive ingredients - apart from the meat as supermarkets are adamant to rip us off these days.

For the chicken;

Chicken Breast x 4 (to save money try slicing the breast into 2 so you will only need to buy 2 breasts - don't worry about size as it's filling)
Bacon x 4 (not compulsory if you want to save pennies)

For the Pesto;

Pine Nuts / 90g (or cashew nuts if you want to save some money)
Olive Oil / 200ml (or Vegetable Oil)
Garlic / 3 Cloves
Fresh Coriander / 1 packet (cheapest are usually around 28g but just swipe the best deal you can find in your local supermarket)
Mixed Herbs / couple of pinches (not compulsory)

For the Vegetables;

Bear in mind that you can use as little or as many different vegetables as you feel like, or can afford - and always remember economy brand is the way forward.
Red Onion x 2
Peppers x 2 (differing colours looks more effective)
Tomatoes x 4
Chestnut Mushrooms / 1 Packet (usually 250 - 300g)

Recipe;

1. Firstly, prepare your pesto;

Roughly chop your pine nuts, garlic and coriander.
Add this mix with a good pinch of mixed herbs, salt and pepper into a blender with around 200 millilitres of oil and blitz until mixture combines into a bright green pourable liquid. Remember to save enough oil to cook your chicken.
If you don’t have a blender then finely chop the ingredients add with the oil and whisk until mixture is combined.

2. Secondly, prepare your vegetables;

Chop your onions, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms into big, rustic chunks and place in your roasting dish.

Pour the majority of your pesto over the vegetables and get stuck in with your hands to coat all the vegetables in your pesto mixture - Remember to save a small amount of pesto for a garnish at the end (unless obviously you're just hungry and don’t give a shit)

Finally, place tin foil over the top and place in top of a hot oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

3. Lastly, prepare and cook your chicken;

Lay your bacon flat on a chopping board, 2 slices per portion, place the chicken on top of the bacon and wrap around.

Next, heat some oil in a pan until it begins to smoke, this is a sign that it is hot enough to cook with - then place your wrapped chicken breast in the pan and leave without shaking for 2 minutes on each side. Be careful of spitting oil, a sizzling sound as you put the chicken in the pan shows you're doing it right.
Once you have done this - take the tin foil off the vegetables and place the chicken on top then return to the top of the oven for 15 – 20 minutes and turn down to 180 degrees. This allows the chicken to cook throughout and the vegetables to roast. When you get your chicken out, slice the breast diagonally to check it is white and hot throughout.

To Serve;

Obviously if you are not in a pretentious mood then just eat and enjoy however you like.
Place a portion of your pesto roasted vegetables in the centre of a plate.
Slice the chicken breast in half diagonally to assure it is cooked - it should be moist on the inside and piping hot throughout, in the unlikely event that it isn’t, return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Finally, drizzle a spoonful of your pesto on top of the chicken and enjoy - should look shit hot and taste amazing, if not then blame my instructions, never yourself.