Greek Chicken & Everything Orzo

My neighbor brought this over last week and it was GREAT! It's a Rachael Ray recipe and the only thing she altered is that she added fresh spinach.


Ingredients

* 4 cloves garlic, 2 chopped, divided
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
* 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, divided
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
* 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
* Salt and coarse black pepper
* 1/2 pound orzo pasta
* 1 red onion, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
* 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
* 1/2 pound Greek feta, crumbled
* 3-4 Greek hot peppers, chopped or a couple of tablespoons banana pepper rings, chopped

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the orzo pasta.

Crush two cloves of garlic and place in a shallow dish with about 1/4 cup EVOO, along with the one thinly sliced lemon, red pepper flakes, oregano and chicken or shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the meat or shrimp has marinated for 10 minutes and the skillet is screaming hot, add the chicken or shrimp and the lemon slices. Cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, or cook the shrimp for 6-8 minutes, until pink and firm, tossing frequently with tongs. Squeeze the juice of remaining lemon over the pan.

When you add chicken to pan, drop the orzo in boiling water and start the vegetables. If you’re cooking shrimp, start the orzo and the vegetables and then throw the shrimp into the pan.

Meanwhile, heat a second skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining two cloves chopped garlic and toss for a minute, then add the olives and tomatoes to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more. Drain the orzo and toss in a serving dish with the vegetables, along with the parsley, feta and hot peppers. Adjust the black pepper to your taste and drizzle with a little extra EVOO.

Serve the chicken or shrimp alongside the orzo.