Dinner for friends... and a great standby meal!

We had some friends come for dinner this past weekend. I decided to make an "old standby" that is well loved at our house. Not sure if I recall the origination of the pesto recipe, but because it has lime in it, I paired it with a unique limeade and a simple fruity dessert.

Cilantro-Lime Pesto Pasta

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (stems removed)
• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons sliced, toasted almonds
• 3 tablespoons chopped or minced fresh garlic
• 2-3 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 cup shredded asiago for pesto, plus 1/2 cup shredded for serving
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup organic chicken broth
• 8 cups spinach linguini, cooked
  
• 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
• 1 cup sun-dried tomato, sliced julienne
  

So you've cooked your chicken and linguini. Combine cilantro through broth in a food processor until blended. Stir pesto sauce into pasta and chicken. Top with sun-dried tomatoes.

I have varied this recipe over time, such as substituting tuna steak for the chicken, or adding artichoke hearts for a veggie right in the dish. This makes a great one-dish meal.

Minted Honeydew Limeade

• 1 ripe honeydew melon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cups fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 cups cold water
• Ice cubes

Blend the melon, in batches until liquified. Mix together the melon liquid with remaining ingredients (through water) in the blender. Serve on ice. Very refreshing!

The trifle was the simplest thing, I picked up some fresh farmer's market peaches, blueberries and strawberries from the store. Also picked up a store bakery angel food cake. I made a package of instant vanilla pudding. I also used whipped cream. Layer in a trifle bowl. Very easy to do and always great to eat.
I feel like this was a nice light meal, but great and not difficult to make, so you can enjoy yourself, your family and/or your guests!