This is one of those recipes that when I looked at it I thought it would be ok. It turned out to be delicious. The chicken is moist and tender which is always a good thing, but the rice and vegetables are definitely the highlight of this dish. This recipe does take a little while to put together, but it is well worth the effort. This recipe was adapted from Cook’s Country with a few minor changes. Like with most of their recipes, they are a little extra work, but they usually turn out pretty good.
This one will go on my favorites list – give it a try it’s really good. Enjoy
Chicken with Rice and Spring Vegetables Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Patricia
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
- ½ cup orzo
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 pound asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed and minced)
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup Marsala
- 1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest – optional (grated)
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables and set aside. (I found it handy to measure out all the ingredients before I started this recipe.)
- In a Dutch oven or large kettle over medium high heat cook the orzo until deep brown. Pour in a bowl and set aside.
- Add one tablespoon of oil to the same pan and cook the asparagus until starting to brown and al dente. Remove the asparagus from the pan to a dish and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan, salt and pepper the chicken and cook chicken until browned on both sides. Remove the chicken to a platter, and set aside.
- Place the rice, onion, and ¾ teaspoons of salt into the same pan and cook until onion and rice start to brown. Add ¾’s of garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the broth, Marsala, and orzo, bring to a high simmer, and arrange chicken into broth adding any juices that were left on the platter. Cover and cook until chicken is done. (165F.)
- Remove chicken to a platter and quickly cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Stir rice mixture; cover rice and continue cooking until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. (If rice does not get done by the time the broth is evaporated, add chicken broth a little at a time, and continue cooking until rice is done.)
- Mix in the peas, asparagus, basil, remaining garlic, and zest. Cover and let set until vegetables are warmed through.
- Served topped with the chicken breasts.
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