Grilled Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Chicken

While home last weekend for the long Labor Day weekend, my mom and I did little more than cook all weekend. Which, to be honest, is typically how it rolls when Mike and I spend the weekend with my mother and stepfather. It always ends up involving some lazy and relaxing combination of cooking, sipping on wine, sitting by the fire, floating around on the lake, just being together and, well, just being. So, it’s no real surprise that we did a whole lot of cooking while home for a few days. And, without a doubt, the grilled sun-dried tomato and basil chicken we made for dinner one night was the star of the weekend so I thought I’d share it…although I have to be honest and let you know upfront that my mother and I originate from a real Italian way of cooking. Rarely do we measure anything, the recipe changes every time and everything is tasted and re-tasted until the seasoning is just perfect. So I apologize in advance that there is no exact science to the “recipe” I’m about to share. Isn’t that the fun of it anyway?

First up, the filling. We rough chopped about a cup of sun-dried tomatoes (I think we used two 3oz. packages) and combined it with a can of tomato paste, four fresh garlic cloves finely minced, a big pinch of coarse sea salt, and I’d guess about 3 tablespoons of a good quality olive oil. Mix it together until it’s combined well and it’s as easy as that.

From there, pound out chicken breasts so they’re about a 1/4″ thick. I think we ended up with 7 or 8 breasts in all. Spread the paste on one side, then layer with shredded parmesan followed by a layer of fresh basil leaves. For about half of the breasts we also added one thin slice of prosciutto on top of the paste before adding the cheese and basil, but I omitted that for mine as I don’t eat red meat. (Ever.) Roll up the breasts, tie with twine, and then slap them on the grill. Use the rest of the paste filling and thin it out with either pre-made Italian dressing or whatever combination of oil and vinegar floats your boat. Baste while grilling until it’s cooked through and enjoy! (Just remember to remove the string before eating…it’s not very tasty!)

It’s so simple to make, but really yummy. With fresh ingredients, even simple things taste heavenly…and I pretty much believe that anything cooked on the grill tastes amazing anyhow. Don’t worry, the infamous patty pan squash is up next!