cleanfood: Chicken with Spinach & Tomato Orzo Salad

 

Baked chicken breasts cook in the oven while you mix together a Mediterranean-inspired salad—packed with veggies, whole-wheat orzo and an easy homemade vinaigrette—for a weekend-worthy dinner on the table in under an hour. The leftovers from this healthy 400-calorie meal make a delicious packable lunch for the next day.

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), halved

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• ½ teaspoon salt, divided

• ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided

• ¾ cup whole-wheat orzo

• 2 cups thinly sliced baby spinach

• 1 cup chopped cucumber

• 1 cup chopped tomato

• ¼ cup chopped red onion

• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

• 2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

• Directions

  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  2. Step 2: Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3: Meanwhile, bring a quart of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add orzo and cook for 8 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Add cucumber, tomato, onion, feta and olives. Stir to combine.

  4. Step 4: Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing into the orzo mixture. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the chicken and serve with the salad.