Creamy Lemon-Pepper Orzo with Chicken
One of my new resolutions has been to cook for my family. This is a task I've failed at before. On ideal conditions I have zero interest or skill. Throw in two babies and I'm completely inept. Matthew is an amazing cook and has very high expectations for his food which makes my confidence in my own meals plummet. He's assured me time and time again that I'm not terrible and he'd rather have a basic plate of my food on the table after work than just about anything else he'd have to cook or order himself. Sorry Baby, was my biggest line.
I read some tips on meal planning this weekend that made it really simple. You just put it into your calendar. Simple as that. Write it down for the week and shop once. I've got mine set up in google calendars and I get my daily email which takes all the scary creativity out.
Yesterday morning I brought my kids and my list and we bought ingredients for five meals. Weekends are going to be left to Matthew or takeout.
I'm excited to give my family the gift of a meal each night. I'm proud that my kids will see me cooking. Not in an anti-feminist, mom does the cooking kind of way. But in a way that involves them and teaches them and encourages them to want to feed themselves as well.
I know I'm not too big on recipes or cooking here on the blog but if y'all are interested I'm more than happy to share. I've got a whole week's worth of recipes and grocery lists ready on Mondays.
What do you think?
Interested in meal planning along with me?
Do you already do it?
Cream Lemon-Pepper Orzo with Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup whole wheat or other whole grain orzo
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed and patted dry
2 ounces finely crumbled goat cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as basil and tarragon
Directions
Whisk together the yogurt, 2 teaspoons of the oil, garlic, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and preheat an outdoor or indoor grill to medium heat. Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grill until nicely marked and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board at let stand for at least 5 minutes.
Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, stirring in the peas the last minute of cooking. Drain the orzo and peas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir the orzo and peas into the yogurt mixture, along with the goat cheese, 3 tablespoons of the fresh herbs and at least 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, until well combined. Transfer to a platter.
Thinly slice the chicken and arrange on top of the orzo. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh herbs and serve.