The Italian Kitchen: Spinach Artichoke Chicken Orzo

 I have never really had artichokes much except in spinach artichoke dip and wanted to try cooking with them because they are really healthy. I found this recipe from Half Baked Harvest and thought it sounded good.  This recipe is also a great way to get some dark leafy greens into your meals. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Not sure why but I was. 

The ingredients:

1 lb chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)

2 TBSP EVOO

4 tsp Italian Seasoning (I used Rivera seasoning from Burlap and Barrel)

crushed red pepper

salt and black pepper

1 shallot chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 TBSP salted butter

1 C dry orzo

1 TBSP thyme

1.5 C water

1 C milk or heavy cream

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 jar marinated artichokes quartered

2 C baby spinach

3/4 C grated parmesan

2 tsp lemon zest

fresh basil

The recipe:

Combine the chicken, EVOO, and 2 tsp Italian seasoning in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. 

Add the shallots, garlic, and butter. Mix in the orzo, thyme, and 2 tsp of Italian seasoning. Cook until slightly golden, approx. 2 minutes. 

Add 1.5 C water and bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes. then add milk/cream and Dijon. 

Stir in the spinach, artichokes, parmesan, and lemon zest. 

Cook another 8 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the orzo is al dente. 

Serve topped with lots of basil and parmesan. 

Notes: I forgot to get parmesan at the store, so I used Gruyere cheese. I used rotisserie chicken, so I really only had to heat it up in the 1st step. I used toasted onion powder instead of the shallots and garlic powder instead of the garlic cloves. I used frozen spinach instead of fresh. 

Note: EVOO is extra virgin olive oil.