Tag: chicken

Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo
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Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo

FloraD
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Sometimes a recipe comes along that you just don’t change because it’s perfect. This is that recipe. I’ve made it several times and each time, it’s amazing. Better yet, it’s super simple. I wish I could take credit, but alas, I can only provide advice. The prize goes to Jeff Mauro, the Sandwich King from The Food Network, who apparently makes a lot more stuff than sandwiches. His recipe combines dill and lemon along with coriander to make a delicious meal.

Start out with fresh dill and grated lemon for your orzo. The flavor meld together nicely and screams Greek. I should try to make a dip with this. And what is orzo, you may ask. It looks like rice, but it’s a pasta that’s often used in salads, but also in casseroles like this one.

For the chicken, you’ll be using different seasonings, but only three (see how simple this recipe is?). In addition to salt and pepper, you’ll use ground coriander. And what is coriander, you may ask. It’s actually the seeds from the cilantro plant. Who knew? They have a citrus flavor when crushed, which is why it pairs well with dill and lemon.

To cut down on the number of bowls you use, combine the orzo mixture directly in the baking dish. Then, rub the seasonings on chicken. It will be peppery so if that’s not your thing, use half the pepper the recipe states.

Choose chicken that with a consistent thickness, meaning not super thick in the middle and skimpy thin at the ends. If this is not possible, consider pounding the chicken with a mallet to thin out the middle. I have found that two breasts per pound works best for me and doesn’t require any pounding. Just be sure to avoid using large breasts or they won’t cook through.

Place the chicken in the orzo mixture. Don’t freak out. The chicken broth will not wash off the chicken seasonings and make the chicken bland. It’ll all turn out in the end. Make sure your chicken is submerged so you don’t end up with dry chicken. Top with lemon.

And let me take a moment to tell you to use chicken stock, not broth. There’s a difference, they are not interchangeable, and you’ll thank yourself for using the right ingredient.

When baked, you’ll end up with this…

And this…

Did I mention how fancy it looks? You probably could pull this dish off when you have guests to impress.

One of these days, I’m going to try making this dish with other seasoning combinations. I’m thinking that tomato sauce, oregano, and cumin with a little chopped green olives might create a Spanish twist while experimenting with orange and parsley will produce an Italian dish. I encourage you to use your favorite seasonings in the orzo and chicken. Let me know what you discover!

Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo

Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo

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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Orzo

  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 sprigs fresh dill chopped
  • 2 lemons zested and juiced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 cups orzo

Chicken

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 4 medium chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 1 lemon sliced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • For the orzo: In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together stock, butter, salt, cornstarch, dill, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Mix in the orzo.
  • For the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together the coriander, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken all over with the seasoning.
  • Add the chicken breasts, laying them so most of the chicken is submerged. Top with lemon slices.
  • Bake, uncovered, until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
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Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

FloraD1 Comment
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It seems like sheet pan recipes are all the rage, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Throw everything on a single baking pan and pop it in the oven. Only one pan to clean. So easy. What’s not to love? Except I’ve been very skeptical that everything comes out perfectly cooked at the same time. To test my suspicions, I decided to try this Food Network recipe to see if sheet pan cooking is really all that it’s cracked up to be. I substituted a few ingredients and changed the directions a bit.

Spoiler: These fajitas are amazing.

Mix up your seasonings. Slice up your veggies. The original recipe said to use baby bell peppers and yellow onions, but you can really go with any color bell pepper or onion. I chose red for both because they are sweet. Don’t forget to line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil to cut down on the mess.

Throw your veggies onto the pan. It’s ok if the veggies touch.

Hmmm…there seems to be a lot of “throwing” going on. Please do not literally throw your food. Mom would not approve.

Next, drizzle olive oil over the veggies to add some “healthy” fat. The olive oil helps the veggies cook better and not end up dry. Don’t skip this step to save calories. Sprinkle with seasonings. All of this goes into the oven.

While the veggies are roasting, slice up your chicken into strips and toss with rest of the seasonings plus olive oil to help the seasonings stick. Pull out your veggies and place the chicken strips on top. Wait, I knew it. You can’t cook all of this at the same time, but I was surprised to see that the veggies took longer than the chicken.

Back in the oven. Go do something useful like empty the dishwasher. Before you know it, everything ready.

The veggies are perfectly cooked, not too crunchy, not wilted. The chicken is super tender and not dried out. From this point, you can squeeze a lime over the fajitas and start plating. The boys ate them with tortillas.

I made myself a fajita salad. Sorry. I ate mine before I had the chance to take a picture of it. It was delicious.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pound red bell peppers stemmed, seeded, and sliced
  • 1 large red onion halved and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • juice of 1 lime
  • tortillas
  • fixings: cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, etc.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat broiler to high.
  • Combine chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Put sliced peppers and onions on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle veggies with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with half of the seasoning mixture.
  • Broil for 10 minutes on the top rack until softened and starting to char.
  • Meanwhile, slice chicken into 1/4-inch-thick strips. In a large bowl, toss chicken with remaining seasoning mixture and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • When the veggies are ready, place chicken strips over veggies. Return the sheet to the top rack of the broiler and cook for another 5 minutes. Chicken should be cooked through and starting to brown. Do not overcook.
  • Squeeze a lime over the chicken. Serve with tortillas and favorite fixings.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Chicken Cordon Bleu
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Chicken Cordon Bleu

FloraD
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This is one of my husband’s favorites. I’m not sure why. I mean, it’s good, but it’s nothing like REAL chicken cordon bleu with the fancy sauce. But it’s simple to make and delicious so let’s get going.

A couple of tips. Buy thinly sliced chicken breasts or pound them flat. Trust me on this one. They need to be the same thickness throughout. Next season without fear.

Layer with Swiss cheese and ham. I like to use a lacy Swiss cheese (did I mention earlier that I love cheese?) that you can get from the deli. It has a mild, nutty flavor that melts well. Your standard Swiss cheese works well too.

If there is a tricky part, here it is. Roll them up and secure with two toothpicks. Don’t worry if they flop open. Just try again. Don’t get frustrated. They are slippery little suckers. Tell them who’s boss. When you are done, they should end up resembling something like this.

Spray some cooking oil over the chicken to help the bread crumbs stick. Use whatever bread crumbs you prefer. I like Italian seasoned panko for that extra crunch, but it’s really just personal preference.

Pop them into the oven.

Now, I want you to meet your new best friend, the instant-read thermometer. Everyone must own one of these. Choose whatever brand sounds good to you, but unless you have infrared vision to gauge internal temperatures, you need this gadget. Trust me on this one.

When it’s done, your chicken should look lightly golden brown with an internal temperature of 165F. Or less. Now this is a topic of debate. I try to pull it out a little sooner and let them rest to avoid dry chicken. But I don’t want to get you sick so you do what suits you.

What I love about this dish is that it’s easy, fancy looking, and tasty. Your friends will be impressed.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts sliced thinly or pounded evenly
  • 12 slices thinly sliced deli ham
  • 6 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • cooking spray

Instructions
 

  • Lay chicken breasts flat. Sprinkle parsley, garlic powder, and white pepper over chicken. Use suggested amounts or season to taste.
  • Stack ham and cheese slices on them.
  • Season over ham and cheese again (optional, if you love strong flavors).
  • Roll chicken and secure with toothpicks.
  • Spray with cooking oil and roll in bread crumbs.
  • Place on nonstick baking sheet. Cook at 350F for 35 minutes, or until interal temperature reaches 165F.