Menu Monday

I found this recipe that I had made a while ago and tried it out again. I have to say it was a winner, mostly for the fact that the girls gobbled it up and ate it again several times for leftovers (so it wasn't a fluke!).

It's a basic chicken broth/garlic flavor recipe, which you can't go wrong with. The Orzo pasta (shaped like thick rice, if you've never seen it before) was easy for the girls to eat with a spoon. And because of the seasoning and soft texture, they even at the zucchini and tomatoes!

But, if your kids are still finger-feeding, I always recommend Ditallini pasta because it's the perfect size for little fingers and moms don't have to chop it up at all.

Chicken and Orzo Supper

1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 clove garlic
1 can (14oz) chicken broth
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 can (14.5oz) italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into slices (2 cups)
2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Heat oil in medium-size skillet on medium-high heat. Cook chicken and garlic in oil 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is brown.

Stir in broth and pasta. Heat to boiling; reuce heat to medium. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and most of liquid is absorbed.

Stir in tomatoes and zucchini. Cook uncovered 5-10 minutes, stirring occassionally and greaking up tomatoes with spoon, until zucchini is tenter. Sprinkle with cheese.

Jenni's tips: I used canned diced tomatoes, so I didn't have to break up any tomatoes with a spoon. This meant I was also missing the Italian seasoning in the tomatoes, but we didn't miss it in the flavor. Also, if your family isn't big on zucchini, don't worry about hitting the 2 cups. That's a lot of zucchini for any dish, in my opinion.