This week has been a HARD week for eating. HARD week. Lots of mindless eating. You know, where you eat first… think about it later. Ugh. The good news is that I don’t keep much in my house that could cause much damage, and I’ve taken most of the snacky food to the office by now.
Confession: I haven’t even tracked my food this week. Seriously. Tracking my food is what I do! Interestingly, having so many of you connect with my on MyFitnessPal after my post yesterday has been motivating. I feel like I need to step it up for you guys (and for me) so I’m finally back to tracking! THANK YOU!
I have my weigh-in tomorrow morning, and we’ll see how that goes. I think I’ve only had one gain on the books. Gain #2 may be ahead of us… just a warning.
Ok, it’s time to share this amazing recipe! My fellow blogger Lynne over at LGSmash posted last week on Twitter that she made a super-yummy orzo salad and shared the link. That’s all it took for me to save it and vow to make it. WOW, this one was good.
Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken
From Oatmeal in My Bowl
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked orzo
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 – 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
INSTRUCTION
1. Cook orzo according to basic directions (above). Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl. Cook chicken and shred.
2. Chop your veggies and toss them in a bowl. Note: I doubled the veggies (as indicated above) as a way to volumize the recipe a little bit.
3. While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper), stirring well with a whisk.
4. Drizzle juice mixture over orzo; toss to coat. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients (through dill); toss gently to combine.
5. Plate. Sprinkle with cheese and chopped parsley. Serve. Note: I didn’t have goat cheese, but I sprinkled it with a little fresh grated parmesan cheese and dried parsley flakes.
Also, I made this dish the night before and ate it as a cold dish. Absolutely delicious! Enjoy!