Sunday, March 6, 2011

Garden Orzo with Chicken

This is a recipe from The Woman's Day Cookbook (1995). It was originally a side dish, but I always add chicken to make it a full meal. Without chicken, it would make a delicious side dish for grilled chicken or pork. Nutrition info below is for the side dish recipe without chicken...

2 chicken breasts (frozen are fine)
1 Tbs. dried onion
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups orzo (rice-shaped) pasta (8 oz.)
1 tbs. olive or grapeseed oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
  1. Add the chicken breasts to a small saucepan and barely cover with water. Add dried onion and bring to a boil. Boil for 12-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Set aside. 
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add orzo and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Drain if necessary.
  3. While the pasta and chicken are cooking, heat the oil over medium heat, in a separate medium skillet. Add the zucchini, bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and shredded cooked chicken and cook for a few minutes more. Remove from heat.
  4. In a serving bowl, mix the hot orzo, the vegetable mixture, Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired. Serves 5.
Per serving (without chicken): 242 calories, 9 g. protein, 6 g. fat, 37 g. carbs

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