Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken with Orzo and Roasted Vegetables
Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 528.2
- Total Fat: 20.7 g
- Cholesterol: 71.6 mg
- Sodium: 485.0 mg
- Total Carbs: 66.3 g
- Dietary Fiber: 6.0 g
- Protein: 40.1 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken with Orzo and Roasted Vegetables calories by ingredient
Introduction
Cooking skill: medium/easyTime required: 4 hours for marination, 60 to prep and cook.
You will need to have access to a Whole Foods store, or else make the stuffing yourself.
This dish is absolutely to-die-for delicious, and great on a hot summer night. It is as packed with nutrients as it is with flavor!
I invented this recipe randomly one night after being inspired by the feta salad I picked up from Whole Foods.
Feel free to sub couscous for the orzo if you prefer. Cooking skill: medium/easy
Time required: 4 hours for marination, 60 to prep and cook.
You will need to have access to a Whole Foods store, or else make the stuffing yourself.
This dish is absolutely to-die-for delicious, and great on a hot summer night. It is as packed with nutrients as it is with flavor!
I invented this recipe randomly one night after being inspired by the feta salad I picked up from Whole Foods.
Feel free to sub couscous for the orzo if you prefer.
Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients
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4 oz of Greek feta salad from Whole Foods (made from feta cheese, parsley, sundried tomatoes, olives, grape leaves, oil, vinegar, and a few other ingredients... I find mine near the cheese section. Entire container=8oz)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, large
1/4 cup Lawry's chicken marinade
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from two lemons (save a little slice, to spritz on chicken before serving)
2 red or orange bell peppers
4 ears of corn
8 oz orzo pasta
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
2.5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp italian dressing
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
pinch of Saffron (optional)
16 oz chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste (not included in nutrition info)
Directions
1) Marinate chicken breasts for 4 hours or overnight in Lawry's marinade + garlic + 1 tbsp olive oil + juice of two lemon (salt and pepper, if desired).
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3) Cut the breasts along the side to form deep pockets for stuffing. Stuff the chicken breasts with 2 oz each of the feta mixture.
4) In a large sauce pan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add orzo, and saffron (if using). Cover, reduce heat. Let simmer 6-8 minutes, or until pasta has absorbed most of the liquid. Add chopped parsley and stir. Turn off heat.
5) In a heavy skillet, sear the chicken in 2 tsp of olive oil (place them "big side down" to keep stuffing from spilling). Cover the pan. Let cook about 5 min, until golden brown (you are only searing one side of the chicken). Turn off heat.
6) Fill a medium sized casserole dish with the orzo mixture. Place chicken breasts seared-side up over orzo. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the chicken breasts (if using). I like to add another 2 oz or so of the feta mixture directly on the orzo, not in nutrition info. Cover with foil.
7) Using foil, create individual wrappings for corn in boat shapes which roll up tight at the top. Drizzle 1 tsp italian dressing and 1/2 tsp olive oil over each corn cob (salt and pepper if desired), close foil tightly.
8) Cut the de-stemmed, de-seeded red peppers into fourths and arrange skin-side up on a baking sheet (I line my baking sheet with foil for easy clean up). drizzle with 1 tbsp italian dressing.
9) Place the chicken, corn, and peppers into the oven (peppers on the top shelf, corn and chicken on the bottom). Bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove peppers when they start to caramelize where they touch the pan. Remove chicken when not pink inside and keep covered & warm. Turn up the heat to 400. Cook the corn another 10-20 minutes, to give it a nice golden-brown color.
10) Use EXTREME caution removing the corn from the oven and opening the foil.. hot oil and steam is dangerous. Arrange the corn and peppers over the chicken and orzo and enjoy.... spritz chicken with lemon juice, if you have any left.
Number of Servings: 4
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user VALKYRIA-.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3) Cut the breasts along the side to form deep pockets for stuffing. Stuff the chicken breasts with 2 oz each of the feta mixture.
4) In a large sauce pan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add orzo, and saffron (if using). Cover, reduce heat. Let simmer 6-8 minutes, or until pasta has absorbed most of the liquid. Add chopped parsley and stir. Turn off heat.
5) In a heavy skillet, sear the chicken in 2 tsp of olive oil (place them "big side down" to keep stuffing from spilling). Cover the pan. Let cook about 5 min, until golden brown (you are only searing one side of the chicken). Turn off heat.
6) Fill a medium sized casserole dish with the orzo mixture. Place chicken breasts seared-side up over orzo. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the chicken breasts (if using). I like to add another 2 oz or so of the feta mixture directly on the orzo, not in nutrition info. Cover with foil.
7) Using foil, create individual wrappings for corn in boat shapes which roll up tight at the top. Drizzle 1 tsp italian dressing and 1/2 tsp olive oil over each corn cob (salt and pepper if desired), close foil tightly.
8) Cut the de-stemmed, de-seeded red peppers into fourths and arrange skin-side up on a baking sheet (I line my baking sheet with foil for easy clean up). drizzle with 1 tbsp italian dressing.
9) Place the chicken, corn, and peppers into the oven (peppers on the top shelf, corn and chicken on the bottom). Bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove peppers when they start to caramelize where they touch the pan. Remove chicken when not pink inside and keep covered & warm. Turn up the heat to 400. Cook the corn another 10-20 minutes, to give it a nice golden-brown color.
10) Use EXTREME caution removing the corn from the oven and opening the foil.. hot oil and steam is dangerous. Arrange the corn and peppers over the chicken and orzo and enjoy.... spritz chicken with lemon juice, if you have any left.
Number of Servings: 4
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user VALKYRIA-.
Member Ratings For This Recipe
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