Orzo Chicken Lemon Soup

This is one of my favorites and sooo easy to make! We serve it with toasted crusty bread. You add a nice leafy green salad to make it a complete meal.

Ingredients

2 cooked chicken breasts, cut in small pieces
8 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup orzo
3 eggs
2/3 + cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 TBSP lemon zest
Mediterranean salt, ground pepper to taste
4 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary

In large saucepan, brink stock to boil over medium heat. Reduce to medium low, add orzo and cook uncovered until tender, about 15-20 minutes. About 5 minutes before pasta is done, add the chicken pieces.

Place eggs in a mixing bowl, whisk will adding in lemon juice. Stir in zest. Keep whisking and slowly add a ladleful of the hot stock to the egg mixture. Slowly add the egg mixture to the stock in saucepan and stir. Stock should thicken slightly.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.

Spot didn't give a paw rating because she thought we were cooking onions. Once she realized we weren't, she sat at our feet with high hopes.

Our New Fav Side Dish

How do you spell Side Dish? One or two words? The other day I watched a show new to me called "Restaurant Impossible". The host is Robert Irvine. Not only does he help restauranteurs evaluate their use of space, he upgrades their menus when needed.

We are all in love with his recipe that we tried tonight along with marinated BBQ T-Bones. I tweaked it a little, but all the credit goes to Robert.

Blue Cheese Spinach Orzo Side

INGREDIENTS:
3.5 TBSP unsalted butter
3 TBSP flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1 pound orzo, cooked and cooled (drain in cold water, fluff to keep from sticking)
2.5 cups crumbled blue cheese
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
2 big handfuls of fresh spinach
1.5 cups diced tomato


DIRECTIONS:
In medium skillet over med-high heat, melt butter. Lower heat and whisk in flour. Once fully combined, reduce heat all the way to low and whisk in milk. Stir and cook til thickened. Then add the blue cheese, one package at a time. Be sure fully combined before you add the next pkg. Season with salt and pepper, blend and remove from heat.

Now stir in the orzo. Then add the spinach and tomatoes, again combine well. The orzo will warm with the sauce and the spinach will wilt.

Start to finish this takes about 30 minutes. Serves about 8 people with one-cup servings or the 4 of us with refills. Chef says this will keep 5 days. Not in our house!

Spot was not around for this part of the meal. She was only interested in the T-Bones on the BBQ and is now enjoying her reward.

Spinach-Cream Cheese Dijon Chicken AND Lemon Spinach Tomato Orzo

This recipe is from my daughter Anne who came home last weekend and prepared us this feast! It has gone on our short list, and takes just 25 minutes start to finish (unless you double it).

INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken
8 - 10 chicken tenderloins (we use the flash frozen ones, thawed. If you have a 75-lb-dog like our daughter does, thaw on top of fridge)
A few handfuls of fresh spinach
1 cup whipped cream cheese at room temp
Salt
Pepper
Grey Poupon Mustard
Toothpicks

For the Orzo
1.5 - 2 cups uncooked Orzo pasta
4-6 TBSP butter, to taste
1 full lemon juiced (do not use prepared juice, it makes a difference)
1 - 2 diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
A few handfuls of fresh spinach
Salt
Pepper

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat broiler to high. Move rack about 6" from top. Also put medium pot of water on high to boil for Orzo.

Cut tenderloins in half as if you are butterflying them. (8 tenderloins will make 16 pieces) Salt and pepper to taste.

Lay cut tenderloins on foil wrapped cookie sheets. Spread each with as much cream cheese as you like. Press 6-8 spinach leaves onto the cream cheese side of the tenderloins.

Roll up the tenderloins starting with the fat end, rolling toward skinny end and secure with a toothpick. Dollop each rolled tenderloin with Grey Poupon to taste. The rolled up chickens should be about 2" apart.

Broil about 8 - 10 minutes til tops are browned and chicken cooked all the way through. (Cut into one piece before removing from oven to be sure it is not pink)

Add Orzo to boiling water with 1 tsp salt.

While pasta is cooking, dice tomatoes.

When Orzo is cooked, drain and return to pot. Add butter, Parmesan and tomatoes and stir until cheese and butter are melted. Add salt and pepper and fresh squeezed lemon, mix.

Serve with chicken and enjoy! Big eaters will enjoy 6 tenderloins so plan accordingly.

Spot gave this 4 fat paws and sat under her big sister's chair the entire dinner