Lemony Chicken And Scallion Orzo Risotto Style Food

LEMONY CHICKEN AND SCALLION ORZO, RISOTTO-STYLE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet.
• Sautee the white portions of the scallions until tender, reserve the green portions.
• Add pasta and stir frequently until some of the grains are toasted golden brown.
• Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, and allow it to absorb, stirring frequently. When it's almost dry, add another 1/2 cup of broth. Continue in this fashion until the pasta is al dente. If you need more liquid, just add a bit more water.
• Add chicken, herbs, rest of scallion, Greek seasoning, and juice from half the lemon, stirring until the chicken is warmed through and the herbs have wilted a bit.
• The orzo should be soft, and a thick, almost creamy sauce should have developed. At this point, add the myzithra cheese and stir until it's thoroughly incorporated.
• Add additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice to correct the seasoning.

CREAMY LEMON-PEPPER ORZO WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil; prepare a grill or grill pan for medium heat.
• Whisk together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill until nicely marked and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
• Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions for al dente, stirring in the peas during the last minute of cooking. Drain the orzo and peas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir the orzo and peas into the yogurt mixture, along with the goat cheese, 3 tablespoons of the herbs and at least 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, until well combined. Transfer to a platter.
• Thinly slice the chicken and arrange on top of the orzo. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining 1 tablespoon herbs.

CRISPY CHICKEN WITH LEMON ORZO

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Remove the tenders on the underside of the chicken breasts and save for another use. (This makes the chicken breasts an even thickness so they cook evenly.) Heat the canola oil and 4 tablespoons of the butter together in a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the butter has melted and begins to sizzle.
• Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Place the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet and cook over medium heat without moving for 12 minutes. With the chicken still skin side down, place the skillet in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
• Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat (careful; the handle will be hot!). Turn the chicken skin side up, add the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, until the butter is a nutty brown color and the chicken breasts are just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer will register 130 to 140 degrees F). Off the heat, sprinkle on the parsley.
• Divide the Lemon Orzo with Feta among four dinner plates. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice each breast crosswise in thick slices. Arrange one breast on each plate with the orzo. Spoon a few tablespoons of the brown butter over each chicken breast, squeeze on some lemon, and sprinkle with salt. Serve hot with a fresh wedge of lemon on each plate.
• In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the orzo. Return the water to a boil and simmer uncovered for 9 to 11 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Drain.
• Transfer the orzo to a bowl and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold in the feta and serve hot.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN AND ORZO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the orzo: Whisk together the stock, butter, salt, cornstarch, dill, lemon zest and juice and garlic in a bowl. Mix in the orzo.
• For the chicken: In a separate bowl, mix together the coriander, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken all over with the seasoning.
• Pour the stock/orzo mixture into a glass 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken breasts, laying them at an angle so all but the tops of the breasts are submerged. Shingle the lemon slices in between the chicken breasts.
• Bake, uncovered, until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Top with the chopped parsley before serving.

RISOTTO WITH GARLIC, HERBS AND LEMON

Steps:

• Put the stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
• Heat the olive oil in another heavy saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly until they soften but do not color. Stir in the rice and cook a minute or too longer. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Add the wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until the wine has evaporated. Then, over a medium to medium-low heat, begin to add the stock, about one-half cup at a time, stirring slowly but constantly. As each portion of the stock is absorbed by the rice, add some more, cooking until the rice is al dente and moist, which should be approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into individual soup plates and serve at once. Pass the Parmesan cheese on the side.

LEMONY ORZO

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, peel half the lemon (avoiding bitter white pith); thinly slice peel. Squeeze 2 tablespoons juice; set aside.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and lemon peel. Cook until orzo is al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot.
• Add lemon juice, oil, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

LEMON-OLIVE CHICKEN WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown chicken on both sides; remove from pan., Add broth to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally., Return chicken to pan. Cook, covered, 5-8 minutes or until pasta is tender and a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°.

LEMON CHICKEN WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix flour and garlic powder. Cut chicken into 1-1/2-in. pieces; pound each with a meat mallet to 1/4-in. thickness. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Dip both sides of chicken in flour mixture to coat lightly; shake off excess., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink. Remove from pan; keep warm. Wipe skillet clean., In same pan, bring broth to a boil; stir in orzo. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 8-10 minutes or until tender. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, lemon juice, basil and remaining salt; remove from heat. Return chicken to pan. If desired, serve with lemon wedges.

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water until partially cooked through but not yet soft, about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water until cooled completely.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir carrots, celery, and onion in hot oil until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season mixture with thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf; continue cooking another 30 seconds before pouring chicken broth into the pot.
• Bring the broth to a boil. Partially cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir orzo, lemon juice, and lemon zest into the broth; add chicken. Cook until the chicken and orzo are heated through, about 5 minutes. Add baby spinach; cook until the spinach wilts into the broth and the orzo is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese.

SCALLION RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil; lower the heat and keep at a scant simmer.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan (see note) heat 4 tablespoons of the butter and cook the white parts of the scallions, stirring until they're soft, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the grains are coated with butter. Add the wine and cook the mixture at a low simmer, stirring until all the wine is absorbed, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and continue to simmer the mixture, stirring until the broth is absorbed. Keep adding broth by the 1/2 cup and repeating as above until the rice is creamy and al dente The rice may not absorb all the broth, so it's best to taste the mixture before adding the last 1/2 cup.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the green scallion tops, cheese and white pepper.