Whole Wheat Croque-Madames with Lox and Arugula

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I absolutely love eggs! My husband and I dove into Whole Wheat Croque-Madames with Lox and Arugula for lunch today because everything is better with an egg on top, am I right?

I can eat eggs at any meal because they not only make me feel great throughout the day thanks to their high-quality protein content, but also because they’re a nutritional powerhouse! Yup, you heard that right!

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines removed the limit on dietary cholesterol and support the consumption of eggs with other nutritiously delicious foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Even more fabulous, if you consume eggs with foods containing vitamin E, like a raw mixed-vegetable salad, you absorb more vitamin E, which is amazing for your immune system, skin, and eyes. So if eggs are delicious AND they’re good for you, I think it pretty much sounds like you’ve got nothing to lose when incorporating them into your next meal!

Whole Wheat Croque-Madame with Lox and Arugula

Time: 45 Minutes
Yield: 4 half sandwiches
Serves 4

Ingredients
5 oz baby arugula
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
2/3 cup gruyere cheese, divided
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 oz Black Forest ham, thinly sliced
2 oz lox or smoked salmon
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large eggs

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add arugula and blanch for 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and cool under cold water. Drain and squeeze out remaining liquid. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add flour, and with a whisk, stir constantly for about 3 minutes. Add milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and continue to stir for about 5 minutes, being careful not to brown. Stir in 2 tablespoons of gruyere until it melts. Remove béchamel sauce from heat and cover with wax paper so that it doesn’t dry out.

Set one oven rack a few inches from the top and preheat the broiler.

Arrange bread slices on a plate and spread about 1 tsp béchamel sauce over 2 slices of bread and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spread 1 tsp of Dijon on remaining two slices of bread and top each slice with ham, lox, and arugula. Carefully flip the slices with gruyere over the slices with ham to close each sandwich.

Lightly oil a foil-lined medium baking pan.

In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Cook sandwiches for 2 minutes on one side until golden brown. Flip sandwiches over and cook for another 1-2 minutes longer, until golden. Transfer sandwiches to baking pan.

Spread remaining sauce over each sandwich. Broil on the top rack for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce bubbles. Remove from broiler and cover with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Crack two eggs at a time into skillet and fry, spooning over olive oil, until the whites have set, but the yolk is still runny. Transfer to plates and repeat with remaining eggs, adding more oil if necessary.

Cut each sandwich in half to make four half sandwiches. Top sandwich halves with a fried egg. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Pork Belly Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Mixed Mushrooms

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Seeing this recipe, you might ask, is pork belly stir-fry a healthy option? It depends! As a dietitian, I know that it’s totally fine to indulge on occasion. While I wouldn’t recommend eating large portions of this delicious meal below every day, I will say that it can be a part of a healthy diet, especially because it’s packed with so many vegetables. So while I’ll try to keep other meals I eat this week on the lower sodium side, I will allow this on my plate.

Overall, I think that it’s important to allow yourself to eat the foods you enjoy on occasion as long as you keep moderation in mind, and try to be creative by incorporating healthy ingredients as much as possible. That way you can stick to your plan to meet your health goals, but not become discouraged on your journey to getting there!

Pork Belly Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Mixed Mushrooms

Adapted from Bon Appetit Test Kitchen
Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb pork belly, cut into 2-inch-long by ¼-inch-thich slices
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ginger, minced
16 oz mixed Asian mushrooms, such as oyster, enoki, shiitake
8 oz snow peas, trimmed
1 bunch green onions, sliced, divided
12 birdseye chilis (optional)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, divided
3-5 tbsp hoisin sauce (to taste)
2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
Steamed rice, to serve

Directions
Sprinkle pork belly with salt and pepper. Heat a large wok or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and mushrooms; stir-fry until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add pork belly to skillet; stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until pork has browned, but is not cooked through. Add snow peas, half of the green onions, birdseye chilis (if using), and half of the cilantro; stir-fry for one minute. Stir in hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, and five-spice powder. Sauté until peas are crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates with steamed rice and sprinkle with remaining green onions and cilantro.

Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Kale, Mushrooms, Guanciale, & Fried Egg

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It’s World Egg Day, so I was inspired to share one of my favorite eggy recipes with you! While eggs used to be a super big nutritional no-no due to their cholesterol content, research has found that they don’t raise your cholesterol one darn bit! I’m so excited to live in a time when eggs are no longer a guilty pleasure, but a delicious healthy pleasure instead! So what are you waiting for? Dive into this scrumptious recipe for World Egg Day and fill up on some high quality-protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to keep you healthy and satisfied.

Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Kale, Mushrooms, Guanciale, & Fried Egg

Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash, about 2 lbs, halved and seeded
1/4 pound guanciale or bacon, chopped
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small serrano pepper, minced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small bunch kale, chopped
1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 fried eggs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Season squash with salt and pepper. Set squash flesh-side down in a shallow baking pan and add about 1/4 inch of water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover squash with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until squash is fork tender. Shred squash with a fork. Keep warm and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the guanciale until crisp and brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels, leaving about 2 tbsp of fat in the pan. Add the shallots, garlic, serrano, and mushrooms and simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mushrooms have browned. Add kale and broth. Simmer on medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, until most of the broth is absorbed and the kale is tender.

Return the bacon to the pan. Add white wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated. Add reserved shredded squash and stir, rewarming if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired and serve on plates topped with a fried egg!

Kenyan Braised Kale with Ground Beef

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If you’re looking for something a little different to cook, but for something that’s still familiar (a stir fry over rice), try out this recipe for Kenyan Braised Kale with Ground Beef. If you know of larb, a Thai dish, this shares a lot of similarities in texture and appearance. But thanks so the spice mixture, which includes cinnamon, the flavor is definitely African. Can’t imagine what that would taste like? Make this to mix up your cooking routine. It’s great served over brown rice, with roasted sweet potatoes, or even a little bit of whole grain flatbread. I’m not sure where I found the original recipe, but it is featured on Food & Wine. I’ve changed it up to add kale instead of collards (I love kale, and it’s packed with even more nutrients than collard greens), and added San Marzano tomatoes from my garden. Super delicious!

Kenyan Braised Kale with Ground Beef

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 large bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and seasonings and cook browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the collard greens and tomatoes and sauté until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir everything gently as it cooks, careful not to mush the tomatoes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

A Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala + Indian-Spiced Kale with Chickpeas

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Indian food is so delicious, but you might not deem it healthy and only save it for a cheat day. But I beg you to think differently! If you cook curry in your own kitchen (it’s not daunting at all), you can see exactly what’s going into it, and it can not only be diet friendly, but extremely healthy to boot. My recipe below uses little in the way of saturated fat, and only utilizes a few tablespoons of peanut oil and a little bit of yogurt. The results? Exceptional.

I hear the word “clean eats” being thrown around a lot, but I think it’s a term that is not well-defined and can be misleading. Some might think that “clean eats” is only eating raw, or only eating really basic foods, liked steamed chicken breast and broccoli.

I am here to tell you that this chicken tikka masala meets MY definition of clean eats. This is because the dish is well-balanced with protein, carbs, and fat, and has several spices and herbs that are super good for you. While turmeric and garlic are anti-inflammatory, cumin and cayenne may promote weight loss, fenugreek is rich in minerals, and garam masala is a wonderful mix of several extremely healthful spices. Studies have shown many spices used in Indian cuisine also serve as antioxidants and may play a role in cancer prevention.

So here is my recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. I’ve also paired it with a recipe from EatingWell that is a great way to use up any kale you have growing in your garden! Plus the garbanzos add just a little extra fiber to really round out this dish.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
1.5 lbs chicken thighs, poked with a fork, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 tbsp Tandoori Paste
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
Peanut Oil
1 large onion, sliced
2-3 serrano chilis, deseeded, chopped
1″ piece of ginger, peeled, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp cayenne (or more to taste)
2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 lb roma tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
5 cashews (optional)
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 cup cilantro, chopped
Steamed basmati rice + mint chutney, to serve

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.

Add chicken, tandoori paste, and Greek yogurt to a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Transfer to refrigerator and let marinate for at least 20-30 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and browned.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of peanut oil in a pan. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4-6 minutes. Add serrano chilis, ginger, garlic, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Then add turmeric, cayenne, garam masala, and sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, fenugreek, and cook for a few more minutes.

Transfer the sauce to a food processor with cashews and blend until very smooth.

Return sauce to the same pan and add 1 tbsp peanut oil. Add chicken and its juices to the pan to reheat. Stir in yogurt and 1/2 cup cilantro. Serve with mint chutney over rice.

Indian-Spiced Kale & Chickpeas

Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 1/2 pounds kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped (see Tip)
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garam masala, (see Ingredient note)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute. Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Start your week off rich in Omega-3s with this recipe for Halibut with Zucchini, Olives, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Get your week off to a good start with a lovely serving of Omega-3s! The FDA recommends consuming two servings of seafood per week to boost heart and brain health, which means that it’s not a bad idea to start eating fish earlier in the week so that you can plan your next fish dish before the week is over. And if you’re like me, you can always double up your recipe so that you can dive into more omega-3s for lunch the next day. How is that for fantastic?

Because I’ve been eating a lot of salmon, tuna, and black cod recently, I decided this time to opt for halibut. While halibut is admittedly less rich in omega-3s than the latter, one 6-oz portion is still going to net about 900mg of omega-3s, which is still considerable. So if you find yourself growing tired of seafood highest in omega-3s, don’t hesitate to choose an option in the middle range, like halibut. I think that adding diverse foods to your diet is best, especially because it will lessen your chance for boredom!

Before you dive into meal planning for the delicious recipe below, check out the list made by Seafood Health Facts that details the omega-3 content of various types of fish.

Halibut with Zucchini, Olives, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped (reserving 2 tsbp oil)
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pits removed, and coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Four (6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400F.

Add zucchini and salt to a medium boil and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse, drain, and pat zucchini dry.

Arrange 4 long pieces of foil on a work surface and brush each piece of foil lightly with a little of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil.

Add sun-dried tomatoes and remaining oil to a small bowl with cilantro and olives, and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange your zucchini over each piece of foil by overlapping slices about the same size and shape of each fish fillet. Top zucchini with half of the sun-dried tomato mixture. Arrange fish over vegetables and top with remaining sun-dried tomato mixture. Seal each fillet with foil by folding into packets. Set on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the fish has cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 145F.

Carefully open each packet and transfer to serving plates. Enjoy!

Lamb Stew with Kidney Beans, Fenugreek, and Green Onions (Gormeh Sabzi)

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It’s been a while since my last post, and that’s because I was off the grid on vacation in Central America and wasn’t cooking a darned thing!

Now that Adrian and I are back from our Panamanian adventures, we’re super ready to cook up some amazing meals. For our first home-cooked dish, we were craving some serious comfort food. For us, comfort food is this lamb stew, the recipe being passed down from Adrian’s dad’s side of the family. Adrian’s aunt taught us how to make a few of his grandma’s stews, and we are forever indebted to her for that, because his grandma was an amazing home chef. According to Adrian’s dad, we make her food just right, which is a very very nice compliment coming from him and considering the talents of his mother.

I can see some readers pondering this dish and wondering if it can be made with beef instead, and it can! I’ve also heard that chicken fares well too. As an additional tip: Fenugreek can be purchased easily online if you don’t have it already. It’s a necessary ingredient to bring everything together: it’s mapley and imbues the lamb with wonderful flavor. Lastly, if you like beef stew or any other lamb stew, this will top them all. It’s even a little healthier with the beans and all of the herbs. So go ahead and make this one! Then let me know what you think.

Lamb Stew with Kidney Beans, Fenugreek, and Green Onions (Gormeh Sabzi)

Time: 1 Hour
Serves: 4

Ingredients
3/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 medium-large onion, sliced thin
1 lb lamb leg or lamb stew meat
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. turmeric
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Steamed basmati rice, to serve

Sabzi (Herb & Vegetable platter)
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch tarragon
1 small bunch green onions
1 bunch mint

Directions
Heat 1/2 cup canola oil in a large pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, sautéing them until golden-brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add lamb, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Stir the ingredients and keep on high heat until the lamb is a pinkish brown. Then cover the mixture with water, a little below lamb level. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Cover with lid.

While the lamb mixture is simmering, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a small frying pan. Add green onions and fry until the oil has coated the green onions generously, but do not let get too soft, about 1 minute. Add to the pot with the lamb mixture when done and replace lid while pot is still boiling.

In the same frying pan, sauté parsley for about 2-3 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of dried fenugreek, stir, and add to lamb mixture and replace lid. Keep on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Once the lamb-mixture has cooked for ten minutes (or until the lamb is tender to taste), remove the lid and add kidney beans and lemon juice to the pot and keep on medium-low heat for ten minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice with a platter of radishes and herbs.

Shepherd’s Pie with Steamed Cabbage

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Sometimes Mondays are rough and you just need some comfort food to keep you going. This shepherd’s pie with steamed cabbage certainly meets that criteria and we really needed it today with all of our unexpected last-minute changes in our vacation planning.

Now, shepherd’s pie might look a little heavy, but I still consider it healthy to eat on occasion because it’s balanced with carbs, protein, and fat, and is still packed with tons of nutrients from the vegetables and meat. Plus, I mostly look forward to the steamed cabbage when we eat this meal. We steam ours in our rice cooker, but you can steam yours however you please! Sooooo good!

 

Shepherd’s Pie with Steamed Cabbage

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 6

Mashed Potato Topping
2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
2 egg yolks
Heavy cream, ¼ cup
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan, 1/2 cup grated
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Filling
1 large onion, quartered
1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5lb ground lamb, beef, or elk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small bunch, fresh thyme leaves
3 large rosemary sprigs, needles finely chopped
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
Green Cabbage, 1 large head, quartered and steamed (optional)

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain. Gently mash the potatoes with egg yolks, heavy cream, butter, and 1/4 cup parmesan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Prepare your mirepoix by finely grating your onion, carrot, and garlic in a food processor. Set aside.

While the potatoes cook, heat oil in a deep oven proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground lamb, and stir until browned and broken into small pieces, about 8 minutes. Drain the fat and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 400F.

Return skillet to the burner over medium-high heat and add mirepox. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes to cook down the vegetables. Then add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Add herbs and wine and stir for another 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and cook about 5-10 minutes, or until filling has soaked up most of the liquid.

In your oven-safe skillet, top filling with mashed potatoes and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top. Fluff the potatoes with a fork to give them a peaked look. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned and your pie is sizzling! Serve with a side of steamed cabbage and enjoy!

Goan-Style Shrimp Curry

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This Goan-style shrimp curry recipe is so good that it should be illegal somewhere! I’m not exaggerating, honest. We’ve made this several times and have only made a few tweaks to the recipe below. The fresh curry leaves and sambhaar are what really bring this meal together and if you’re wondering where to acquire them, both are only a Google away! The original recipe is by Suvir Saran and is adapted here on the  James Beard Foundation website.

Goan-Style Shrimp Curry

Time: 25 Minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Marinade
2 tablespoons lemon juice, from about 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
24 fresh curry leaves, roughly torn
4-8 dried red chiles (4 for mild, 8 for spicy)
1 teaspoon ground peppercorns
1 (3-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon sambhaar or 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
To make the marinade, place the lemon juice, kosher salt, ground peppercorns, and cayenne pepper in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp, toss to coat, and refrigerate.

Set 1/2 cup of water next to the stovetop. Heat the oil with the curry leaves (if using) and chiles in a medium pot over medium-high heat until the curry leaves start to sizzle, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground peppercorns and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the ginger, onion, and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is browned, about 8 minutes, sprinkling with water and stirring whenever the onion and ginger begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add the garlic, coriander, and turmeric and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes to the pot. Cook, stirring and scraping the browned bits up from the sides and bottom of the pot, for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the sambhaar or curry powder and cook for 1 minute, and then pour in the coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a saucey consistency. Add the shrimp and any accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are curled and opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve over rice.

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Quinoa Orzo

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I came across quinoa orzo at our local natural grocery store last week and had to try it! I was a little skeptical that it would come out as perfect as usual, but it really did, while adding additional protein and fiber to our usual pasta recipe. So below is a recipe for quinoa orzo with lemon chicken that is sure to please! I pretty much licked the plate clean when I was done, and I imagine that you will too.

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Quinoa Orzo

Time: 40 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp lemon pepper, divided
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2.5 cups chicken broth
12 oz quinoa orzo (regular orzo is fine too!)
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 cup feta, crumbled, to garnish

Directions
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with lemon pepper on both sides, about 1.5 tbsp. Add chicken to pan and brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.

Heat the same pan over medium heat with remaining oil and scrape up any browned bits. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, orzo, remaining lemon pepper, 1/2 of the parsley to the pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and the broth is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve on plates garnished with remaining parsley and feta.