So Many Dishes

“Wow! This is absolutely delicious!”

That was Ken’s reaction to tonight’s dinner. We tried a new recipe, something that sounded special enough for a Friday night dinner. I found this recipe in a recent Washington Post, although it apparently was recycled from 2017. It had been adapted from Turkish Delights: Stunning Regional Recipes from the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, by John Gregory-Smith. I haven’t seen the original recipe, so I don’t know how much the original was adapted, or how authentic it is. What I do know is that this is so good.

The dish is essentially a stir fry, so having everything prepped is key. Once I started cooking, I had dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, including the cooking time for the orzo. I had originally thought that I could cook the orzo while I was cooking the chicken. However, I needed to mix a little butter, herbs and seasonings into the orzo, which then gets added to the chicken mixture. So I did the pasta first, covered the saucepan, and let it sit while I continued with the chicken. Honestly, the seasoned orzo would make a good side on its own.

I made one change to the recipe and used an alternative ingredient suggested in the recipe. I don’t have Aleppo pepper. My spice drawer is packed with pretty much everything else, but that’s one thing I’m missing. So I used sweet paprika, and I don’t know why I’d want to use anything else. The change I made was to skip the almonds called for in the original recipe. Ken just does not like nuts in cooked dishes; he is so not picky that I don’t mind eliminating nuts. If you want to include them, add one-third cup of blanched almonds when you add the onions.

The recommended side was a green salad, and that’s what I did. Ben gave us an interesting calamansi vinegar for Christmas, and I used that, along with a Portuguese olive oil, to dress the salad. I had to look up calamansi, which is another name for calamondin, a cross between mandarin orange and kumquat. The vinegar is tart but not too sharp, and I’ve used it on my salads a lot since we opened the bottle. The olive oil was a gift, too, from some friends who came to the pierogi party the other week.

Lemon and Apricot Cinnamon Chicken

• 1 cup dried orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 6 to 8 stems curly parsley, coarsely chopped
• 2 or 3 stems fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper (may substitute a fruity/mild ground red pepper or sweet paprika)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size strips
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2/3 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

In a saucepan, cook orzo according to package directions, then drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Return the orzo to the pan; stir in butter and a pinch of salt, followed by parsley, dill, and Aleppo pepper.

In a large, preferably nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and stir fry until it loses its raw look, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until onion has softened and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the lemon juice, cinnamon, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the cornstarch, stirring until slightly thickened.

Add the orzo mixture to the skillet, stirring gently to incorporate. Once it is warmed through, stir in apricots and remove from heat.

Serve warm, drizzled with a little oil and with more Aleppo pepper slices, if desired. Serves 4.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Happy eating!