Cook's Helper . . .

One of the items I like to keep on hand at all times is a jar of premade Pesto. Pesto is basically a ground combination of basil, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. I have made my own but if you can find a commerical brand, it is a money and time saver. Right now, our local warehouse store sells a large jar which I can't possibly use all at once. I discovered that dividing it up into snack-sized ziplock bags and freezing them, keeps the sauce at hand and ready to use. The Pesto is wonderful stuff and adds that finishing touch you want to taste in your dishes, especially of the Italian genre. The other night, I only had four, boneless chicken thighs on hand and little time to do anything with them. I ended up quickly braising the meat to brown a bit on each side. I removed them from the frying pan and diced the meat into nice chunks. I returned them to the pan and cooked them for a few minutes with a sprinkling of 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. This brown the four a bit and keeps the upcoming sauce from even thinking about getting lumpy. Then I added a can of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of white wine and brought back to a simmer, stirring until the sauce started to thicken. I added two generous tablespoons of the Pesto, stirred it in to mix, and turned down the temperature to a mild simmer. While the chicken and sauce were keeping warm, I boiled a pot of pasta - spaghetti or shaped pasta, it's your choice. I drained the pasta, divided it among the individual serving plates and put a generous serving of the chicken mixture over each. I put extra shredded Parmesan on the table along with a pepper grinder, and chili flakes for individual taste enhancements. I was amazed at how well my budget dinner turned out as well as my delighted family. Other uses . . . A tablespoon of Pesto stirred into a pot of hot, buttered pasta is a good side dish. Mix a bit of Pesto to taste with butter and make a tasty garlic bread. Just pop the bread under the broiler for a minute or so. Spaghetti sauce tastes a bit blah? Stir in some Pesto. Going for an Italian tasted in your stew? Make sure you simmer in some thin slices of colorful bell peppers and a tablespoon or two of Pesto. I've mixed a small amount of Pesto with butter to make cold sandwiches. A scraping of Pesto before you grill your cheese sandwiches turns you into a professional chef.