PDF 
There are just certain flavors that make me happy. Garlic, tomatoes, broccoli – I love that combination. I’m sure if you searched my archives I have dozens of recipes with that flavor profile. I just love it. And this was no exception. As a matter of fact, I did a few things differently and the tastes were so good that everyone was oohing and aahing over it.
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 heads broccoli – just the florets – save the stems for stock
- 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 package of orzo
- 5 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 cup of stock (chicken or vegetable, whatever you have is fine)
- dried parsley, basil, oregano
- salt and pepper
In a bowl, combine equal amounts of the dried herbs, a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper. Using your finger, just whisk it around to combine.
Preheat your oven to 350.
Put up a pot of water for your pasta and broccoli. I actually use a steamer pot. I steamed the broccoli, removed and set aside and then just added more water for pasta.
Heat a large dutch oven on med/high heat, add a little bit of oil to the pan. Sprinkle a bit of the herb mixture on to each piece of chicken and when the pan is really hot, put the chicken in, herb side down to let it sear. Sprinkle the other side and after 3 or 4 minutes, flip. Do this in batches if necessary till all of your chicken is herbed and seared on both sides.
Transfer the chicken to a lined baking sheet and put in the oven – set your time for 30 minutes. Start checking at 30, you want this cooked through, but you still want it to be tender. I find 30-40 minutes to be perfect.
In the same dutch oven put a little more oil in and using a utensil (I love my bamboo spatulas) scrape the bits of the bottom of the pan, they have lovely chicken/herby flavor and will elevate your sauce. Add the garlic and tomatoes and let them just start to release the juices and get all mushy and yummy.
At this point, you can cook your orzo according to package directions.
Add the stock to your tomato/garlic mixture and just let it boil away to reduce.
When the orzo is done, add it into your tomatoes.
At this point it looked a little bit wet to me and I may have panicked that the orzo was going to be over done if I let it cook down more – but it cooked down pretty quickly and once I added the broccoli back in it all came together. Whew!
Put the mixture in a nice big bowl, slice a chicken breast on top and serve. The dried herb flavor with the fresh tomato and garlic really was nice. And the broccoli was perfect.
It is OK to use my photos or content provided a link back and proper crediting is given
Find Me: