Recipe #21 Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

I'm still traveling through Texas, but couldn't eat another deep-fried anything (ok, at least for tonight) and wanted to cook a special meal for my fabulous hosts Matthew and Keith.  This is another recipe from Eating Well, because I need to.  I served it with a crisp Kendall Jackson Chardonnay and a mixed green salad with sliced Italian bread and blood orange olive oil and aged balsamic vinaigrette.  I could not find sun-dried tomatoes in a package, so had to use them packed in oil, but drained the oil as best I could.  I also used a can of artichoke hearts drained versus frozen.  Finally, I substituted dried oregano for the fresh marjoram.  The dish overall had a good flavor, I would probably zest it up next time with my special Italian seasoning with crushed red pepper.  Our only complaint was that we wish it would have had more sauce - I realized when cleaning up the kitchen later that I forgot to put on the extra reserved sauce!  Happy Cooking!

From EatingWell: March/April 2008

Sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese pack a flavorful punch along with the tantalizing aroma of fresh marjoram in this rustic Italian-inspired dish. Serve with sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccolini.

Real Photo!

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

OK, this one doesn't really show off the ingredients, but what a lovely cooking space.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), divided
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

Preparation

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.

3.     Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

4.   Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
[Too busy socializin with the boys and forgot to take picture of this part!]

5.   Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

Nutrition [Without the bread, oil and salad]

Per serving: 457 calories; 12 g fat ( 3 g sat , 6 g mono ); 68 mg cholesterol; 54 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 36 g protein; 10 g fiber; 372 mg sodium; 546 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Folate (34% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (16% dv), Calcium & Vitamin C (15% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 3
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1/2 fat