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1. This versatile recipe can be made with various flavors. For example: Use fresh parsley or sage in the pesto, and top the chicken with roquefort cheese. Or make the pesto with fresh oregano or marjoram for more of an Italian flavor.
2. For a lighter version, omit the cheese and/or use fish. Use tofu for a vegetarian version.
3. Use the best quality ingredients for the best flavor. Garrido recommends Whole Foods' '365' brand olive oil for a combination of quality and value. "Olive oil makes the pesto," he says.

Meat
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)

Deli
4 slices of Jack cheese

Produce
garlic
2 potatoes (baker or Yukon Gold)
2 tomatoes
yellow onion
cilantro
mixed greens
1 serrano or jalapeno
lemon
2 bunches fresh basil

Grocery
extra-virgin olive oil
vegetable oil
salad dressing

PESTO
(may be prepared in advance and refrigerated for as long as a week; it also freezes well)

2 bunches fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup very good quality extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves

Combine in a blender and puree until smooth.

PICO
(may be prepared a day in advance)

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro (or other fresh herb; see Notes)
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
juice of one lemon
salt, to taste

In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Season to taste with salt.

2 potatoes (baker or Yukon Gold), sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt, to taste
4 slices of Jack cheese (or other cheese; see Notes)
mixed greens
homemade or good-quality salad dressing
pesto (above)
pico de gallo (above)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Prepare pesto and pico de gallo.
3. Place potato slices into a greased baking dish, and spread each with a little pesto. Season lightly with salt and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.
4. Season chicken breasts with salt.
5. Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat, and carefully sear chicken 1-1/2 minutes on each side, turning three times until done. (This should cook the chicken evenly without creating a crust.)
6. Remove chicken to a broiler pan, top each with 1/2 teaspoon of pesto and a slice of cheese, and broil for about 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
7. For each plate, serve one chicken breast topped with pico, a few potato slices, and dressed, mixed greens.

As you head out to the store, keep in mind these tips for the perfect ingredients and preparation:

1. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are easiest to work with. Garrido prefers natural chicken (available at Whole Foods, Central Market, Fresh Plus) for its cleaner, more intense flavor.
2. Pesto: the greener the basil leaf, the better the color, but you can't judge flavor by color--you have to taste it to be sure.
3. Garrido suggests Sonoma Jack cheese to go with natural chicken.
4. Tomatoes should be ripe, vine-ripened, or Roma. They should feel a little soft, but not be mushy or bruised. Their color should be dark and intense, and should have a full aroma when sliced into.
5. Onions: Choose something sweet.
6. Keep the salad ingredients simple to avoid overpowering the main course. Any salad greens will work as long as they're crisp and fresh. Try to buy them the day you use them, but if you need to refresh the leaves, soak them in ice water for 5 minutes and drain. Be sure the leaves are dry before using so the dressing will stay on the leaves instead of pooling in the bottom of the bowl. Dressing the salad too far in advance wilts the greens.
7. If possible, use a homemade, simple dressing; for example, a little shallot or roasted garlic added to good-quality oil and vinegar. While making the dressing, taste it on a lettuce leaf--if you taste it without greens, it should be intense and salty, because the water in the greens dilutes the dressing's flavor.
8. For a creamy blue cheese dressing, Garrido uses buttermilk, sour cream, crumbled blue cheese, champagne vinegar, basil, and black pepper.