Baked Chicken Pesto with Quinoa

As promised, here's a recipe to help out with your new year's resolution. Lately i've had a VERY needy baby on my hands, so the only things i've been cooking are things that are quick that I can do in the small amount of time that he allows me to do anything without him. Even naps haven't been going so good lately. Help. I NEED nap time! It's also a little frustrating since I actually do like to cook that i'm not having the time i'd like to spend doing it (among a ton of other things i'd like to do). That's ok though. I just have to remind myself that one day i'll be wishing he was begging for my attention. Like I said, it's easy. Doesn't get much easier than dumping some pesto and cheese on chicken and tossing it in the oven. Alternately, you could serve this with rice or noodles, by itself, or whatever else you see fitting.

Baked Chicken Pesto with Quinoa
Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. Spray a 9" x 12" baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare your quinoa according to package directions.
When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted. Broil for an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon juices over chicken and quinoa (or whatever else you might be serving with it).