Orzo Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lg or 2 small chicken breasts
• 1 cup dry orzo pasta (makes 1.5/2 cups cooked)
  
• 1 Tbs sesame, canola or peanut oil (for sautéing the chicken)
  
• cherry or grape tomatoes
• spicy red & yellow peppers
• 2 Tbs white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
  
• 4 Tbs water
• freshly chopped basil (chop it at the end)
• 1-2 Tbs olive oil
• 1-2 Tbs capers
• salt & pepper to taste
  

1. Heat a pot of salted water for the orzo.
2. When the water is boiling, throw in a cup of orzo to cook.
3. Season the chicken w/ salt & pepper, then sauté.
4. Chop up tomatoes and spicy peppers, put in a large bowl & set aside.
5. When the orzo is done, drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking - set aside.
6. When the chicken is done, take the chicken out of the pan to rest.
7. Deglaze the pan with a little white balsamic vinegar (or white wine) and water - about a 1/4 cup total liquid at the most - add any juice from the resting chicken.
8. Reduce liquid to about half, then set aside.
9. Add the orzo to the bowl of veggies and toss.
10. Shred the chicken breast and add to the orzo/veggies.
11. Add the pan juices and a few tablespoons of olive oil and toss.
12. Add freshly chopped basil and capers & toss again.

Makes two generous servings

To make it vegetarian/vegan, leave out the chicken & replace with drained, rinsed cannellini beans. You can toast the cannellini beans & dress with vinegar & olive oil instead of pan juices.

Chicken & Penne

All cooked together in the same pan - about 20 min start to finish.

Ingredients: [tsp = teaspoon, Tbs = tablespoon]

• 2 frozen Costco or fresh chicken breasts
  
• 1-2 Tbs sesame, canola or peanut oil
  
• 1-2 Tbs fresh-ground pepper (or however much you like)
• 1-2 Tbs thyme
• 1/2-1c water
• 1/4-1/2c white wine (optional)
• 1-2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1-1 1/2 cups penne pasta, or as much as will fit around the chicken, level in the pan - it shouldn't pile over/above the chicken.
  
• 1 Tbs reduced chicken stock or 1/2 bouillon cube
• 1-2 Tbs capers
• 1-2 Tbs olive oil
  

1. Get a large skillet w/ a lid - preheat for a few minutes on med/med-high. When the pan is hot, use 1-2Tbs high-smoke-point oil like sesame, canola or peanut (olive oil burns too easily, add it at the end).
2. Brown the chicken, about 3 min per side or long enough to get some color - cook until almost done (season however you like - I used pepper & thyme - salt came from added stock later but if not using stock or bouillon, season chicken with salt).
3. Add a small amt. of liquid to the pan if it's starting to burn (lemon juice, water, and/or white wine or combo of all three) - just enough to keep the pan from burning but not too much to inhibit caramelization.
4. Before chicken is fully cooked, add about 1 cup water, 1/2 c white wine and if you like, 1Tb concentrated chicken stock or a half cube of non-MSG bouillon - it adds good flavah.
5. Bring liquid to boil.
6. Add a few handfuls of penne to surround chicken in the pan - not too much, making sure pasta is just covered (or almost) by liquid in the pan.
7. Pop on the lid & turn it down to low & simmer for as long as the package says to cook the penne (it won't be enough - read on).
8. When the timer goes off, check the penne - it should still be slightly undone. Using forks, shred the chicken in the pan then give it all a good stir. Check the amount of liquid - add a little water if the pan's looking dry (about 1/4 cup or so). If you want to add in vegetables, now's the time to do it - chopped asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, red & yellow peppers - whatever you like. (David hates vegetables, so I cook/add mine separately.)
9. Pop the lid back on for about 5 minutes.
10. When the penne's done, take off heat & finish with capers & 1-2Tb olive oil and a pinch of the fresh herbs you started with. Taste for seasoning & add salt at the end if necessary.

Serve with fresh ground pepper and parmigiano-reggianoif you eat that sort of dairy.

Can be made & refrigerated for a cold chicken pasta salad. For cold salad, add fresh seasonal vegetables & a little extra olive oil when tossing to serve.