Mediterranean Lemon Chicken With Artichokes And Orzo Recipes

ONE POT MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN ORZO | SLIMMING & WEIGHT WATCHERS FRIENDLY

Steps:

• Coat the chicken thighs in the paprika, ground allspice, turmeric and salt and leave for 10 mins. In the meantime chop the vegetables.
• Spray a large pan with some low calorie cooking spray and heat gently.
• Cook the chicken thighs until they start to brown. Turn them over and brown the other sides.
• Set the chicken aside.
• Add a few more sprays of low calorie cooking spray to the pan, then fry off the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and mushrooms until the onion is soft.
• Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and 100ml of the chicken stock. Return the chicken back to the pan and place in the oven with a lid on (or covered with foil) for 30 mins at 180°C.
• Carefully remove the pan from the oven, add the orzo, parsley and the rest of the stock, stir, and return to the oven for 20 mins with the lid off

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a large bowl of water. Discard the outer leaves of each artichoke. As you do so, and as you continue cleaning the artichokes, dip them into the lemon water to stop the cut sides from browning. Use a paring knife to peel the base and stems. Slice off the top third of each artichoke. Slice the artichokes in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, scoop out the hairy chokes inside, pulling out any prickly purple leaves as well. Slice each half into three pieces. Put trimmed artichoke pieces in lemon water until needed.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and sear in batches until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
• Add artichokes and garlic to pan, adding more oil if needed, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more.
• Pour in wine and stir in olives, rosemary branches and grated zest of 1/2 lemon. (Do not discard after zesting.) Return chicken to pan. Bring liquid to a simmer.
• Cover pan and transfer to oven. Cook until chicken is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. (Check white meat after 25 minutes and remove from oven if done.) Transfer chicken to a plate and place skillet over medium-high heat. Simmer until pan juices thicken and become saucelike, about 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in butter.
• Return chicken to pan and sprinkle with cheese. Adjust oven heat to broil and place pan in the oven until cheese is melted and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn.) Squeeze juice of remaining lemon half over pan and serve garnished with chives or mint if you like.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES, OLIVES, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Add oil, then chicken, skin-side down, in a single layer. Cook, turning, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and artichokes; cook until golden brown in places, 5 to 7 minutes. Add olives, oregano, and flour; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Stir in broth and lemon, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. Return chicken, skinside up, and any juices to pan; bring to a simmer. Partially cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken (without touching bone) registers 165 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove lid; continue simmering until sauce thickens slightly. Serve over orzo, sprinkled with oregano leaves.

ORZO WITH CHICKEN AND ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in pancetta, and cook until browned. Remove to paper towels.
• Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into skillet. Stir in onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium high, pour in white wine; cook about 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, stir in chicken, artichoke hearts, and spinach. Cover, and cook to warm through.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add orzo pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and stir into chicken mixture.
• Stir pine nuts and balsamic vinegar into pasta.

LEMON CHICKEN WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix flour and garlic powder. Cut chicken into 1-1/2-in. pieces; pound each with a meat mallet to 1/4-in. thickness. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Dip both sides of chicken in flour mixture to coat lightly; shake off excess., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink. Remove from pan; keep warm. Wipe skillet clean., In same pan, bring broth to a boil; stir in orzo. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 8-10 minutes or until tender. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, lemon juice, basil and remaining salt; remove from heat. Return chicken to pan. If desired, serve with lemon wedges.

ONE-PAN LEMON ORZO CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet (oven-proof if you plan on broiling the dish at the end, see notes above.) When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken to the pan and sear for 3 minutes side, or until nicely golden. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and orzo and cook for 2 minutes, just to lightly toast the orzo.
• Add the artichoke hearts, herbs de Provence, and water or stock to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, return the chicken thighs to the skillet, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes. [Note: Times will vary depending on the kind of orzo you are using, the shape of the pan, the strength of your stovetop. My orzo (not whole wheat) consistently is cooked in 15 minutes or less, so just keep an eye on things.]
• Transfer chicken thighs to a board, and chop into cubes with a knife or shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the lemon zest and juice. Add a few handfuls (about 1/2 cup) of parmesan and stir to combine. Taste. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley and stir to combine.
• This is where I stop (see notes above). I find it delicious as it. BUT, if you want to take it a step further, sprinkle a layer of cheese (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup) over the top and broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Keep an eye on it!
• Serve immediately.

DOUBLE-DUTY CHICKEN WITH OLIVES & ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix flour, garlic salt and pepper. Dip chicken thighs in flour mixture to coat both sides; shake off excess. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. In batches, brown chicken on both sides. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker., Sprinkle garlic, lemon zest, thyme and rosemary over chicken. Top with artichoke hearts, olives and bay leaf. In a bowl, mix orange juice, broth and honey; pour over top. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove bay leaf., Reserve 4 chicken thighs for Double-Duty Chicken & Feta Spinach Salad; cover and refrigerate. To serve remaining chicken, mix gremolata ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and artichoke mixture.

MEDITERRANEAN ARTICHOKE CHICKEN WITH ORZO

Steps:

• 1. Pound chicken breasts to flatten evenly. Season with pepper.
• 2. Drain artichoke hearts, set aside, save marinade.
• 3. Bring 1/4 cup marinade to boil in large skillet. Ad chicken and cook over medium heat until lightly browned.
• 4. Add artichokes, broth, pepper flakes, remaining marinade and orzo. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and cook until chicken and orzo are done. Add lemon juice and capers. If too much liquid remains, boil another minute to reduce a bit OR add liquid if too dry!!
• 5. Serving idea: serve with steamed Italian (flat) green beans.