Pesto Chicken Roulade with Wild Blueberry Agrodolce

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For an impressive dish that looks like much more effort than it actually is, this chicken roulade is a fun recipe that combines many of The MIND Diet foods on one plate. In fact, this dish includes five of the 10 brain-healthy foods recommended in The MIND Diet: leafy greens, berries, olive oil, nuts, lean poultry. Recipe by Maggie Moon, MS, RD, author of The MIND Diet


Serves 4

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Serves 4

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Pesto: (6 oz)
1 bunch Italian parsley leaves (~3 cups loosely packed)
1 cup loosely packed arugula
2 large cloves garlic
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from ~½ large lemon)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cashew pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt

Agrodolce: (4–5 oz)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup Wild Blueberries
1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken: (4 roulades)
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, 4–5 oz each, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
4 tablespoons pesto (2 oz, recipe above)
2 tablespoons frozen Wild Blueberries
2 tablespoons crushed pistachios, lightly salted
2 tablespoons chopped dried mission figs (~3 figs)
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Other:
16 thin toothpicks or kitchen twine, plus 3–4 toothpicks
  1. Combine all pesto ingredients except salt in a food processor until it is mostly smooth, about a minute. Salt to taste. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until ready for use.
  2. Preheat oven to 450° F. Divide pesto into a 2-oz portion for prepping the chicken and set aside the remaining 4-oz for plating and serving. Season chicken (both sides) with salt and pepper. On a clean working surface, lay one chicken breast smooth side down. Spread a tablespoon of pesto across it. Spread a teaspoon of Wild Blueberries across one third widthwise, then a teaspoon of pistachios on the second third, then a teaspoon of dried figs on the final third. Be careful to avoid the edges. From the Wild Blueberry end, tightly roll the chicken to the fig end. Secure with a few toothpicks or tie with kitchen twine. Repeat for remaining chicken breasts.
  3. Heat grapeseed oil in a non-stick pan over high heat until hot. Add chicken and brown on all sides, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a Silpat- or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5–7 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F. Remove from heat and rest under a foil tent for 5 minutes. Slice on the diagonal to serve.
  4. Meanwhile, in the same pan used for the chicken, prepare the agrodolce. Do not clean it out. Over medium heat, add balsamic vinegar and scrape up any browned bits. Add chicken broth and Wild Blueberries. Bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.