Inspired by the season we’re in, I whipped this up for dinner tonight with input from Jayson on the orzo flavours! Make sure to use Canadian chicken, honey, canola oil and much of the rest was all Canadian grown or manufactured. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did (and my daughters, too!)

Ingredients for the Chicken

6 small-medium sized chicken breasts
Chicken marinade:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-3 tbsp canola oil (for cooking)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2-3 cups tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes but Roma tomatoes would also be a great option because they are meatier tomatoes), diced
1 avocado, diced

Ingredients – Cilantro Lime Orzo

1 1/2 cups orzo
6 cups low sodium chicken broth (or 4 cups chicken broth with 2 cups of water)
Zest of 1 lime
1/2 lime, juiced (use the one you just zested)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. For the chicken marinade: One hour before you plan to cook, combine the marinade ingredients (balsamic vinegar, honey, canola oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and black pepper) in a large bowl, until everything is mixed together. Add the chicken into the bowl and make sure that each one is coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for about an hour.

2. While the chicken marinades, you can get everything else prepared. Dice the tomatoes and sprinkle in the black pepper, tossing to coat. Do not cut up your avocado until right before you want to serve so that it doesn’t brown. Zest and juice the lime, de-stem and chop the cilantro and combine both in a bowl. Set aside to use after the orzo is cooked. Shred the cheese and set aside.

3. When you have 10-15 minutes left before the hour of marinading, bring the broth to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

4. When the hour is up (which should be before the orzo is fully cooked), take the chicken out of the refrigerator. Heat a large pan over medium heat and drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil to the bottom of the pan then add the chicken. Try to keep some of the marinade on the chicken so don’t let it drip back into the bowl too much before placing in the pan. Once you have all the chicken in the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes at a time until fully cooked and no longer pink inside. It will take about 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes, sprinkle the cheese on each chicken breast and remove from heat and cover for the last five minutes.

5. When the orzo is cooked, drain and rinse it off. Transfer it back into the pot and stir in the lime zest, juice and cilantro.

6. To serve, put a bed of orzo, then place the chicken in the middle and top with the tomatoes and avocado. Finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Bon appetit!