A Perfect Summer Dinner

I can't believe it's been about 2 months since my last post! I've been very busy, our family just moved to Tennessee, so I haven't been cooking much, and didn't want to blog since I didn't have my camera. So...my first entry in a while was wonderful. It's very hot here, so I was looking to make something light, that could also be great for leftovers. I found this in my Cooking Light magazine recently, and is also available on their site, Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese was light & full of flavor, and you can easily make changes, such as substituting balsamic for the red wine vinegar, adding some sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella for the goat cheese, using different fresh herbs, etc. I also served with with grilled whole wheat pita bread and Mediterranean Hummus. I plan on making this often during the long hot Southern summer!

Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips (such as Tyson) I used 1.5 lbs of boneless/skinless chicken breasts that I put in a marinade of extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper and some lemon juice & some minced garlic
1 1/2 cups trimmed arugula I used baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup prechopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano I used dried
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar I used 2.5 tbsp
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil I used 2 tbsp
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
I prepared the orzo using chicken broth instead of water

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

2. Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 6 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well.

3. Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups salad and 1 tablespoon cheese)


Nutritional Information
CALORIES 295(23% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 2.9g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.1g; SODIUM 788mg; PROTEIN 24.4g; FIBER 2g