About the Recipe
I love the combination of bright, herby meatballs with a stewed red pepper orzo.
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs:
2lbs ground chicken
1C panko breadcrumbs
Zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1
3/4C feta, crumbled
1/2C shallot, diced
2Tbsp garlic, minced
2/3C dill, chopped
1/4C parsley, chopped
1Tbsp coriander, ground
2 eggs
2Tsp kosher salt
1Tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1Tsp black pepper
Olive oil
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Roasted Red Pepper Orzo:
24oz roasted red peppers, strained and blended into a puree
16oz orzo
1/4C olive oil
6C chicken stock
3/4Tsp salt
1/2Tsp black pepper
Preparation
1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2: In a large mixing bowl combine panko, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, feta, shallots, dill, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Combine to mix. Then add in 2 eggs and mix. Next, mix in the ground chicken, make sure it’s fully combined but you don’t want to over mix.
3: Using an ice cream scoop, form meatballs. I like to dip my hands in olive oil to avoid them sticking to my hands and this also allows them to get a nice golden brown color in the oven.
4: Place meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet and baking until they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and are golden on the outside. Depending on the strength of your oven this usually takes 30-45 minutes.
6: To make the orzo, in a large sauté pan with deep sides, add olive oil over medium heat. Add in the dried orzo and toast until golden brown, continuously stirring to avoid burning. Turn the heat down to medium low and add 1C of chicken stock. Be careful it could steam up! Continuously stirring, add 1C of chicken stock at a time, allowing the orzo to absorb it before adding the next. Do this step until no chicken stock remains. Add salt, pepper, and roasted red peppers. Stir to combine and cook on low for 2 minutes.
7: Serve up the orzo and meatballs with a little fresh dill and feta if you like. I also love to serve it with a tomato, cucumber, olive salad on the side. Enjoy!