Mexican Arroz Verde Rice with Chicken Breasts

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  First, cook the rice: Rinse it at least 3 times under running water, then place it in a larger pot, pour in 500 ml of water, salt it, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and cook the rice for 14–15 minutes.
• 2
  Meanwhile, bake the chicken breasts. Preheat the oven to 200 °C and prepare an oven-safe pan. Wash, pat dry, and clean the chicken breasts, then sprinkle them with ground cumin, smoked paprika, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and thoroughly massage all the spices into the meat by hand. Next, heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in the prepared pan over high heat, add the seasoned chicken breasts, and sear them for 3⁠–⁠4 minutes on each side over high heat. Then place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 8⁠–⁠9 minutes at 200⁠–⁠210 °C.
• 3
  Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and let the rice rest for 5–10 minutes, covered.
• 4
  In the meantime, prepare the pesto: Peel the garlic, place it in a tall blending container, add all other pesto ingredients, and blend everything until smooth with an immersion blender. Add the resulting mixture to the pot with the rested rice and mix.
• 5
  Once the chicken breasts are baked, remove them from the oven and slice them thinly. Divide the rice and pesto mixture into 4 portions, add the sliced chicken breasts to each, and serve.