The perfect lineup for a cozy night in, made using clean ingredients to make you feel your best
The dinner and dessert combo of my dreams. I’ve been obsessed with anything with tomatoes and mozzarella, which led me to create this pesto orzo dish.
This dinner is packed with incredible flavors, including balsamic marinated chicken cooked in the same pan as cherry tomatoes to marry the flavors, delicious orzo with a homemade basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, and all finished with extra balsamic glaze.
If you’re like me, you love having a sweet treat on hand for a “night cap” before bed… and my favorite go-to recently has been these monster cookie bars. They’re gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free- yet they taste exactly like the nostalgic m&m monster cookies I loved so much in my childhood!
You can find the full recipes for both the dinner and dessert below, enjoy!
Dinner (serves 3-4; gluten and dairy free with adjustments)
For the basil pesto:
2 cups fresh basil
1/3 cup walnuts (can also use pine nuts)
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp salt
Cracked black pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese*
*omit if dairy-free
Combine all ingredients in a small blender and pulse to combine. If needed, add more olive oil until smooth. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed, then set aside.
For the Balsamic Chicken:
1.5-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (3-4 breasts, can also use chicken thighs)
3 tbsp concentrated balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Lots of cracked black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add your chicken into the bowl, toss to combine and coat the chicken in the marinade. Allow to marinade for at least 2-3 hours or overnight for the best flavor.
To cook: preheat oven to 400F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high, then add in your chicken breasts. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side until it’s browned and caramelized, then flip to the other side and repeat. Add tomatoes to pan and place pan in the oven (while your chicken is in the oven, start cooking your pasta). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken breasts reach 165F internal. Remove from oven using an oven mitt.
For the orzo:
8-12 oz gluten-free orzo pasta (I use jovial foods), depending on how many you’re serving.
½ tsp salt
Start by boiling a large pot of water. Add the salt, then add in your orzo, and immediately stir so that your pasta doesn’t stick together. Allow to boil for 9-12 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Before draining, reserve a ½ cup of pasta water. Drain, then add your orzo back to the pot. Add in your pesto, stir to combine. If it’s too thick, add a bit of pasta water at a time until you’re happy with the texture. Taste and add in extra salt or pepper if needed, then keep over low heat to keep warm.
For serving:
mozzarella (I use buffalo mozzarella for lactose free, but omit completely if all dairy free)
Parmesan (omit if dairy free)
Balsamic glaze
Basil
Start by adding some of the orzo to a plate, and top with sliced chicken breast as well as some of the cooked tomatoes + juice in the pan. Top with fresh torn mozzarella, grated Parmesan, torn basil leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Serve immediately, and enjoy your delicious dinner before baking up your dessert!
Now… it’s time for a sweet treat!
Monster Cookie Bars (recipe from Ambitious Kitchen):
Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup coconut sugar (or sub brown sugar)
¾ cup tahini (or sub peanut butter or almond butter)
¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup packed fine almond flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
For the mix-ins:
½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips (I used hu kitchen for dairy free), divided
½ cup chocolate candies (I used Unreal brand “m&ms”), divided
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top (optional)
To bake:
Start by preheating your oven to 350F, and line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment.
Combine eggs, coconut sugar, tahini/nut butter, and vanilla extract in a medium sized bowl. Then add in your coconut oil and whisk until the oil is incorporated.
Add all of your dry ingredients to the bowl and mix well to combine.
Fold in ¼ cup of the chocolate and ¼ cup of the candies, then fold them in. Add your mixture to your prepared pan and top with the remaining chocolate and candies.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are barely browned. You want to underbake them a bit so they are soft and gooey- if you prefer them a bit firmer then bake for a couple extra minutes.
Wait until they cool completely, top with some flaky sea salt if desired, slice into 16 squares, and dig in! You can also serve with dairy-free vanilla ice cream and extra chocolate pieces for a delicious sundae.
I hope you love these recipes as much as I do… they are truly incredible! Take my word for it.
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Love you guys, have a wonderful weekend and tag me if you make these <3
With love,
Abigail