Mediterranean Chicken with Orzo

This dish is probably mostly inspired by Greek food, but so many of the flavors and ideas are also common to Sicily and southern Italy, that I've decided to call it Mediterranean instead. With a few minutes of preparation the day before you want to eat, this meal can be ready in less than 30 minutes and is a nutritionally complete, full course meal all in itself. It's fancy enough to impress at a dinner party, but can also be an easy week-night staple.

2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, or chicken breast tenders
1 pound of orzo
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small can (14.5 ounces) on crushed tomatoes (fire roasted add a nice extra bit of flavor)
64 ounces of chicken broth
6-8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced (do NOT substitute dried dill -- fresh dill is essential)
4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary (if you must use dry, 3 tablespoons will be enough)
6-7 springs of fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dry)
1 teaspoon of salt
1.5 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
6-8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled (low fat or fat free versions are perfect for this meal -- you'll never miss the fat!)

The night before you want to eat this meal, start marinating the chicken. If using chicken breasts, cut them into strips so they look like chicken tenders. Place all the chicken in a gallon size ziploc bag, and add the olive oil, the juice of both lemons, the rosemary and thyme, roughly chopped, 1 tsp. of salt, and 1/2 tsp. of pepper. Close the bag, thoroughly mix and massage the marinade into the chicken, and place in the fridge until about 15 minutes before you want to grill the chicken. When you remove the chicken for cooking, strip away most of the herbs that cling to the meat, and place it on a hot grill or grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side, until it's cooked through.

To prepare the orzo, first saute the onion and garlic in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until they are soft and wilted. Add the chicken broth (low-sodium or homemade if at all possible) to a boil, along with the pepper and dill (no need for any more salt -- between the broth, even if it's low-sodium, and the feta, there is plenty of salt already). When it's boiling, add the orzo. 2-3 minutes before the orzo is done, add the crushed tomatoes and 1 minute before it is done, stir in the chopped fresh spinach, just to get it to wilt.

Once the cooking time for the orzo is done, drain the excess fluid from the orzo, and distribute it in 4-6 shallow bowls (pasta bowls are perfect). Sprinkle each with feta cheese, and then place the chicken on top and enjoy!

Pescatarian Option: Instead of chicken, use shrimp or scallops -- marinate the same way, but be sure to grill them for only a minute or so on each side, until just cooked through. Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.