Chicken with Orzo, Asparagus, and Parmesan

 This tasty meal is a quick cooking dish that will be ready to be put on the table in very short time, as long as you have everything prepped. You have well seasoned chicken breasts, with tender orzo and asparagus that has been flavored with thyme, lemon and Parmesan cheese. It really is a very good weeknight meal for two people. I've made this Chicken with Orzo a couple of times now, so my husband and I both enjoy it The recipe is one of  Cook's Illustrated, and has it's share of touches that are to make this dish more flavorful. After it cooks, you are supposed to mix more oil, lemon zest and garlic and drizzle over the finished dish. I have omitted that step, because fresh garlic doesn't agree with me. I added the extra garlic instead earlier in the cooking. The chicken breasts are dredged in flour and sauteed in the skillet just until brown, and then it is transferred to the oven to finish cooking. This time I omitted coating the chicken with flour, but the chicken didn't have as much flavor, so back to the flour next time.

Chicken with Orzo, Asparagus, and Parmesan
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated  - Serves 2
(Israeli Couscous can be substituted for the orzo, if desired)

1/4 cup flour
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-about 5 to 6 ounces each
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper
3/4 cup orzo
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion -Cook's used a diced shallot
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
8 ounces asparagus, tough ends trimmed, and cut into 1 inch lengths
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place flour in a dish. Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel. Season well with salt and black pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off excess.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non stick 10 inch skillet, over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a baking pan and place in the oven to finish cooking, about 5-10 minutes.
4. As chicken bakes, add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the orzo.  Toast the orzo until golden about 2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and lemon zest to the skillet and stir about 30seconds until fragrant.
5. Pour the chicken broth in pan and scape up any brown bits. Stir over low heat for about 4 minutes. Add the asparagus, stir and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook until asparagus is crisp tender and orzo is al dente, 4-6 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove pan from heat. Stir the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese into the orzo. Divide between 2 plates and top with the chicken. Garnish with fresh thyme and lemon zest if desired. Enjoy!

Orzo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms

I love reading food blogs! I get so many great food ideas as I'm sure you all do too. Recently, Karen posted a recipe using orzo and sun-dried tomatoes and cooked it like a risotto. Now orzo is a small, rice shaped pasta that is wonderful in many different dishes. I've cooked orzo like risotto before for this recipe, and I loved how it turned out. Well, yesterday I needed a quick side dish to go with a rotisserie chicken I purchased at the supermarket for lunch, and I thought of making a quick orzo dish using ingredients that I had on hand. It was delicious and it only takes about 15 minutes to cook. The earthy mushrooms paired with the tangy sun-dried tomatoes is wonderful. Give it a try!

ORZO WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS

from Lynda's Recipe Box (inspired by Karen's recipe)

1 cup orzo

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 large clove garlic, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used white mushrooms)

1/3-1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth or stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped-optional

salt and pepper to taste

Slice onion, garlic, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Heat the chicken broth in a sauce pan or the micro wave. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and the onion. Cook until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic and stir until mushrooms are cooked. Remove mixture to a bowl. Add the orzo to the skillet and stir until lightly toasted. Add 1 cup of hot broth to the skillet and stir the orzo until the broth is absorbed. Add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time until all the broth has been used and the orzo is cooked al dente, about 15 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture and the sun dried tomatoes back into the skillet with the last addition of chicken broth, along with the parsley. Also stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper if needed. I didn't need to add salt because the Parmesan made it plenty salty for us. Enjoy!

NOTE: This also makes an excellent main dish, served with a good salad.

Butternut Orzo Risotto

Quite a few years ago, my Mother gave me a gift subscription to "Country Woman" magazine, a sister publication of "Taste of Home". I've enjoyed reading each issue from cover to cover, and each time it arrives in my mailbox, I think of my Mom's gift. Since my Mom passed away 3 years ago, I still continue to receive it as many of the stories in it make me think of her. Plus, there are some good recipes, like this Butternut Orzo Risotto, that I tried this week. I love butternut squash, so when I spied this recipe in the October/November issue, I knew I had to try it. It is delicious and not hard to make. The most time consuming part is peeling and cubing the squash. My photos for this step were not great, so please check out A Veggie Venture, for a great tutorial on cutting up this squash. This informative post written by Allana, is quite helpful if you don't know how to wrangle the large squash. So, after you get the squash cubed, it is roasted in the oven in some olive oil until tender. Don't over cook it! While it roasts in the oven, saute onion in a skillet, then add garlic and the orzo along with chicken broth. It is stirred constantly just as if you were making risotto with rice, and then

adding more broth as it absorbed. After broth is absorbed, throw in some herbs and mix in the tender roasted butternut squash. It looks beautiful, smells wonderfully herby

and tastes delicious! I love squash anyway, but it was fantastic prepared this way. My husband gave it a "10", so that means it's good, real good! I hope you'll try it!

BUTTERNUT ORZO RISOTTO (slightly adapted)

3 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (about 1/2 inch cubes)

2 tsp. olive oil (recipe calls for 1 tsp.)

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper, divided

3 cups lowfat, reduced sodium chicken broth

1 cup diced onion ( recipe calls for 1 small onion)

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 clove minced garlic

1 tsp. fresh thyme (recipe calls for 1/2 tsp.)

1 1/2 tsp. fresh sage. minced ( I used 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage)

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley ( 2T. in recipe)

shaved Parmesan cheese, optional

Place cubed squash in a greased baking sheet and drizzle with the 2 tsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and 1/8 tsp. butter. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes til tender, but not mushy. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in a small sauce pan or in the microwave. In a large skillet, saute onion in melted butter until tender. Add orzo and garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the warm broth and continue to stir until all the broth is absorbed. Add the remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time. Allow liquid to absorb before adding more. Cook until risotto is creamy and orzo is almost tender, or al dente. Cooking time is about 15-20 minutes. Add the herbs, remaining 1/8 tsp. pepper and the roasted squash. Toss gently. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

I loved the mix of flavors in this dish, I only regret that I didn't have fresh sage to use. Next time, I'll definitely buy some. The roasted squash is delicious, of course, but with the fresh thyme mixed in it was heavenly. I'll be making this often, as I couldn't quit eating it! Makes about 4 servings. Enjoy!