The other night after work I made this recipe. The original recipe that I found was twice as large and had cream in it.  To make this recipe healthier I used half and half instead of cream, cut back on the olive oil, and halved the recipe (since there is only two of us.) It took about 30 minutes to put together and was really delicious.  The servings were pretty big and my boyfriend and I were so stuffed afterwards.  If you think 12 PointsPlus is too many to to have for dinner, you can add more broccoli to this recipe and divide the recipe into fourths for 6 PointsPlus a serving.

Herb-Rubbed Chicken with Creamy Orzo

Ingredients:
4 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked
2 – 3 oz. pieces of chicken
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tsp. olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1/2 of a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup of broccoli florets
1/4 cup of half and half
3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook orzo according to the package directions.  Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and then drain orzo.

In a small bowl combine basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.   Take the two pieces of chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper.  Take the combined dried herbs and sprinkle on both sides of chicken evenly.  Heat olive oil in a 12-14 inch skillet over medium-high heat.   Place chicken in skillet and cook on both sides for about 3-4 minutes each until golden brown.   Once the chicken is cooked,  place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil.  Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium,  add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.   Add diced tomatoes with juices and broccoli florets to the skillet.  Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any of the brown bits.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover the skillet and cook until for about 10 minutes, until broccoli is tender.   Next stir in parmesan cheese, half and half and cooked orzo.  Stir until combined, adding pasta water if sauce needs smoothing out.  Season with salt and pepper and divide evenly onto two plates.   Place each piece of cooked chicken on top of the beds or orzo.  Serve right away.  (Weight Watchers PointsPlus- 12 points)
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Source– Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Enjoy!

-K