Lemon Vinaigrette
Pinch of salt and pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon (1.5 Tblsp lemon juice)
1 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Lemony Orzo with Grilled Chicken and Spinach
1 chicken breast shredded
1/2 pound uncooked orzo
1 handful washed and dried spinach (I love the spinach so I use 2 handfulls)
1/4 cup toasted pinenuts*
Grated parmesan cheese
* Heat the pinenuts in a skillet on the stove, stirring constantly as these will burn very quickly and easily.
Grill chicken breasts making sure to salt and pepper both sides. Meanwhile, place a large pot of salted water over high heat. When it comes to a rolling boil, add all the orzo and cook according to package directions.
When the chicken is finished cooking, place the ckicken on a plate to cool. Shred the chicken when it is cool enought to handle.
After the orzo is cooked to al dente, drain all the water and place the orzo in a large bowl. Immediately add the spinach. The heat from the orzo will wilt and "cook" the spinach. Next add the shredded chicken and toasted pinenuts. Toss with lemon vinaigrette and Parmesan cheese.
Note - As this sits in the refrigerator, the vinaigrette loses some flavor. If you plan on eating it later, be sure to heat it and maybe add a little lemon juice.
The original recipe is double everything, but it's too much for my family to finish so I make this recipe. My husband loves this, my kids love this (well except for the picky one) and I can't get enough. It's so yummy! Thanks to my amazing friend Jill for her recipe.
5 comments:
That looks good I love mixing grilled chicken with rice and pasta.If you want more recipes or if you want to take a look at the
collection of tips I have for grilling you can visit www.cookingandgrillinoutdoors.com
Great photo!
Adding the spinach is a masterful idea.
Sautéing the orzo before boiling would add some color and a deeper flavor to the dish. Orzo is kinda bland on both counts.
rebecca--what do you think this would taste like without pinenuts? i think this could be something good for my 10-month-old, but you know, no nuts. maybe i could just set aside some for him.
does any one know if lemon juice is okay for babies?
I think it would still be yummy but I really love pinenuts so I would miss that flavor. It would be easy to make some for him without the nuts. And I'm pretty sure lemon is fine for babies. He's almost one, the magical age! Enjoy.
Thanks for the sauteing tip! I'll have to try that.
we did this last night. while chuck and i thought it was a little bland (maybe we didn't get enough lemon juice in there) the baby LOVED it! so we'll keep it for him. thanks!
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