Chicken Breast Topped With Pesto Parmesan Crunch

This is really yummy and a great dish when you are hosting a party.

Enough chicken breasts for the crowd
mustard
2 or more cloves of garlic, crushed
diced tomatoes
grated Parmesan cheese
enough olive oil to slightly coat the bread crumbs
stale sourdough bread, crumbled in a food processor
Italian herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper

Precook the chicken breasts briefly by either grilling or pan-frying them a couple of minutes. Mix the garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs, olive oil in a bowl. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and cover them with a light coating of mustard and the bread crumble mix. Shortly before it's time to serve bake them for 10-15 minutes until the topping is toasty and golden.
Serve with pasta or rice and a salad.

Chicken Orzo with Salsa Mediterranee

This one is certainly a family favorite.

3-4 tomatoes, chopped
12 olives (green or black - kalamata are best)
2 TBs capers, rinsed and drained
2 TBs Balsamico wine vinegar
2 TBs olive oil (extra-virgin)
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup cooked black beans (optional)
dried basil
salt, pepper
2-3 ounces of blue (or feta) cheese
1/2 lb or more diced chicken meat (I used cooked leftover chicken ;)
1 package of orzo
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Mix all ingredients up to the meat and set aside. Heat skillet on medium-high and cook chicken meat in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add orzo and broth to the skillet. Lower heat, cover and let simmer for 12 - 15 minutes until the orzo is soft. Check a couple of times to make sure the orzo doesn't stick and add water if needed. Serve orzo with salsa mediterranee on top and sprinkle with blue cheese. A green salad with oranges and carrots is great as a side.