Lemon Black Pepper Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Orzo
This dish is chalked full of yummy roasted vegetables. Bell peppers, asparagus, green beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, shallot and garlic are all tossed with orzo. Fresh herbs and lemon black pepper chicken are tossed in. For an easy vegetarian switch, take out the chicken. This recipe is also perfect to make ahead and pack for weekly lunches.
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes
servings: 6
Ingredients:
ROASTED VEGETABLES
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
12 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups red bell peppers, chopped
1 lb asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb green beans, end discarded and sliced in half
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
4 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
CHICKEN + ORZO
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
zest from 1 lemon
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb orzo pasta
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
DRESSING
2 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
sea salt
ground black pepper
GARNISH
4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet lay the walnuts in a single layer and cook for about 8 minutes, until the walnuts are fragrant and a deep brown. Do not coat with oil or salt. Once out, cool and roughly chop.
Adjust the oven to 400 degrees. Take your mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, asparagus, green beans, garlic and shallots and put them in a large bowl. Coat with olive oil, black pepper, and sea salt and toss until fully covered. Add more olive oil if needed. Spread in an even single layer on two baking sheets. Cook until slightly charred. In my oven, this was done in 25 minutes. For others, it may take as long as 40 minutes. The best thing to do is check in on the veggies often. When they are about halfway done, rotate the pans to ensure even cooking.
While the vegetables are cooking, toss your chicken breast with lemon zest, flour, and black pepper. Coat a pan with a small amount of olive oil and place your chicken over medium high heat. Sear both sides of the chicken, and cook until the meat is white.
In another pot, boil your stock and cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain all excess stock out.
In a smaller sized bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper with a whisk until combined.
In a large bowl, combine the roasted vegetables, chicken, orzo, toasted walnuts and dressing. Toss in your fresh basil and parsley, and save a little to garnish the top. Enjoy!