Chicken with Orzo

Tiny Orzo Pasta with Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese and Chicken

Nov 23, 2009 Jackie Milligan

The flavors of the Greek Isles shine through in chicken with orzo, a light, fresh pasta dish. Equally delicious hot or cold, can be used for lunch or a light dinner.

Orzo is a small pearl of pasta shaped like a grain of rice. It is frequently used in Mediterranean dishes and in the United States it is popular in cold pasta salads.

Orzo is no longer the hard to find, gourmet shop only ingredient that it used to be. Do be on the lookout for 'proper' orzo (pointed at both ends and fat in the center). Some orzo that can be found is shaped more like a teardrop and is flattened. The texture of these orzo is softer and does not give the same feel to the food.

The following recipe incorporates some of the best known flavors of Greece into a single dish. Greek feta is preferable but if it can't be found, any good feta will do. Kalamata olives are sold pitted or with the stones still in them. It is a huge time saver not to have to pit the olives yourself although some people prefer to cook with the pit still in the olive, saying the pit itself imparts a slightly nutty flavor to the food.

Chicken with Orzo:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 1 pound uncooked orzo
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (finely diced)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp powdered bay leaf
• 8 oz grape tomatoes
• 8 oz diced feta
• Chicken broth for orzo

Method:

1. Prepare orzo according to package directions substituting chicken broth for water
2. While orzo is cooking dice 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast into 1 " cubes
3. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over med high heat
4. Saute onion and garlic until translucent, remove from pan
5. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper cook stirring occasionally until chicken is nicely browned (about 7 min)
6. Pour in white wine and reduce heat to med low
7. Stir in oregano and bay leaf. Simmer 5 min, stirring often
8. Add tomatoes and feta, stir for 3 min to heat through. Don't cook too long or tomatoes will become soft and feta will crumble
9. Put chicken into serving bowl and toss in well drained orzo
10. Season with more salt and pepper if desired

This dish can stand alone as a lunch or light dinner. If desired, it can be served as a side dish to accompany roasted lamb or shish kebabs. For a Greek dinner, accompany with mint tea, ouzo (a licorice flavored liqueur), strong Greek coffee and baklava.

If you can't find Greek coffee, Turkish coffee works just fine (they are basically the same). A mixture of special beans, the coffee is ground to a fine powder and brewed on the stove top in a special pan which resembles a small saucepan. When served, the coffee is poured into a demitasse cup along with the grounds (don't worry they will settle to the bottom of the cup after pouring). Sugar can be added if desired.

The copyright of the article Chicken with Orzo in Mediterranean Cuisine is owned by Jackie Milligan. Permission to republish Chicken with Orzo in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

orzo pasta with chicken and kalamata olives

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