Grilled Potatoes, Chicken, and Haricots Verts with Lemon Mint Pesto

Oh lordy, I hit a home run with this dinner.  The potatoes, beans, and pesto for the most part came from a Food and Wine recipe by Sheamus Feeley.  He's a chef at an organic farm with a farm-to-table restaurant that puts all their effort into using the freshest ingredients to make delicious meals.  This is exactly what I'd like to do someday.  Using the food I've grown myself just tastes so much better than anything in the store and I'd like to share that with others and make a business of it.
After reading over the recipe, I decided that I'd rather grill the potatoes instead of boil and bake them, as the original recipe directs.  I also wanted to use haricots verts because they're sweeter and taste better than regular green beans.  I added chicken with my own marinade to make a complete meal.  I was cautiously optimistic about using mint and lemon together because to me, they seemed like a weird combination.  I was so wrong.  Mint and lemon love each other.  They love when you mix in parsley and chives and then they all make sweet, sweet love in your mouth.  It was magical.

4 servings:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs chives, minced


4 tbs olive oil
3 tbs minced chives
3 tbs finely chopped parsley
2 tbs finely chopped mint
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
1 lb haricots verts (french green beans)


Start by mixing the first set of ingredients in a bowl and transferring it to a ziploc bag with the chicken.  Squish it around and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Next, wash the potatoes, cut them in half, and toss them in a bowl with about 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp salt.

Mix the 4 tbs olive oil in a bowl with the chives, parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt.  Let that magical mixture sit and grow exponentially in yumminess for at least 20 minutes.  While you're waiting, light your grill.  Put on the potatoes and let them cook on the first side for 15-20 minutes.  When they get browned and crisp on one side...

flip them over and throw on the chicken.

Let the potatoes cook for another 15 minutes or until you can easily poke them with a fork.  Cook the chicken for 5-10 minutes on each side.  You can use a probe thermometer or just watch them carefully.  The temperature of your grill can vary alot from time to time so just keep and eye on them and take them off when they're just barely done.  The chicken's secret is to keep it juicy.
While all that is grilling, boil some salted water and cook the haricots verts for about 5 minutes or until they're tender, but still crisp.  

Drain the green beans and immediately toss them in a bowl with half the herb pesto mixture.

Cut up the potatoes as soon as they come off the grill (they're hot but if you cut them up before cooking, they'll fall through the grates and getting the grill flavor is better than using foil) and toss them with the other half of the herb pesto.  Let the chicken rest under some foil while you're preparing the potatoes and beans but then serve it all together as soon as it's ready.

Josh said this might be the best chicken he's ever had.  It was certainly the most tender and juicy that I've ever made.  I couldn't believe how good it was since I just threw the ingredients together without a recipe.

I know I said I hate green vegetables before but I really like french green beans.  We actually served them at our wedding and I'm always looking for ways I can prepare this rare veggie I'll actually eat.  The lemony sauce was so perfect with the crisp sweetness of the beans.

As awesome as everything else was, my favorite was the potatoes.  Every fresh herb and lemon flavor was perfectly balanced with the saltiness and crunch of the grilled potatoes.  I can't imagine not grilling the potatoes because it just gave them so much more flavor and texture.  These are without a doubt the best potatoes I've ever had and they were so easy!  The little time spent chopping and grilling is so worth it.  This is my new go-to recipe for guests.