Caesar Chicken with Orzo

The Date: 22 September 2011

The Occasion: Just a Thursday night dinner.

The Recipe: From this book, which I got at Ollie's years ago and have loved ever since. It's full of wonderful and very easy recipes that are easily fancied up and tailored to the ingredients you have and the flavors you like. I'd made this one before and knew I liked it.

How it Went:
This recipe is extremely straightforward. The only thing I really modified was the vegetables. Instead of a bag of frozen veggies, I used some freshly chopped onions, broccoli, and carrots. I also added the Caesar dressing much earlier in the recipe than it suggests. I find the flavors blend better that way. My version, below, is a yummy stir-fry type dish.

Your Turn:
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet, then cook chicken (2-4 breasts, depending on how many you're feeding) in cubes with a bit of chicken seasoning or Perfect Pinch. Add about three tablespoons of Caesar dressing (NOT the creamy kind) and some diced onions (half an onion).
Remove the chicken from the skillet when it's cooked, but leave the juices and dressing in the pan.
Add to the skillet

• one can (about 15 oz) of chicken broth
• 1 C of water

heat to boiling, then add

• 1 C of orzo pasta 

and boil until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now, stir in your vegetables. About 2-5 cups of veggies, depending on how many you're planning to feed. Chopped fresh vegetables are best; a combination of carrots, broccoli, green beans, and onions is good. Shake some black pepper and a few more tablespoons of Caesar dressing in too.
Now let it simmer on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add the chicken back in and let the whole thing simmer together for a few minutes while you set the table.
Serve with garlic bread or hot rolls, or with some fruit.