Lemon Basil Orzo with Chicken
This bright and summery dish is both light and rich, thanks to fresh basil, local butter, and local chicken thighs.
Servings
Produce
Leek
1 0.5 Small
Basil
0.5 0.25 oz
Yellow Squash (Organic)
8 4 oz
Zucchini (Organic)
8 4 oz
Cherry Tomato
5 2.5 oz
Garlic (Organic)
1 0.5 Clove
Lemon
1 0.5 Whole
Protein & more
Chicken thighs
1 0.5 lb
Orzo
1 0.5 cup
Pantry items
Olive oil
2 1 teaspoon
Sea salt
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Spice mix
Garlic Herb Mix
Dried thyme
1/4 0.125 teaspoon
Dried oregano
1/4 0.125 teaspoon
Granulated Garlic
1/4 0.125 teaspoon
Prep ahead (optional)
a. ½” dice zucchini and yellow squash. (Optional: To keep the dish from getting mushy, you can take the seeds out of the squashes. Simply slice lengthwise, use the tip of a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds before dicing.) b. Trim root & green end off leek; thinly slice white part. c. Juice lemon. d. Mince garlic and basil.
Instructions
1
Cook the chicken:
a. Season chicken thighs with ½ tsp salt.
b. In large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tsp olive oil. Add chicken thighs to pan.
c. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook another 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to rest. After resting, slice chicken against the grain into ¼-½” strips.
2
Cook the orzo:
a. In same sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter and garlic herb mix. When melted, add garlic (mince), leek (trim root & green ends, thinly slice white part), and ½ tsp salt; cook until translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
b. Add orzo and lemon juice; stir to coat orzo in butter and juice.
c. Add yellow squash (remove seeds if desired, ½” dice), zucchini (remove seeds if desired, ½” dice), and cherry tomatoes (leave whole). Stir to combine.
d. Add 2 cups of warm water (1 cup for 2-person portion). Stir to combine. Cover and cook until orzo is al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
3
Serve:
a. Add a heaping spoonful of orzo and vegetables to pasta bowl or plate. Top with chicken slices.
b. Garnish with basil (mince).
Chef's notes
For those who aren't chicken fans, fish is a classic substitution as it pairs beautifully with lemon. Select a salmon or mahi mahi fillet and cook it a few minutes less than the chicken in the first step, before adding the orzo and vegetables, or the fish will be over-cooked when the veggies and orzo are just right.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX