Summertime Mixed Grill with Lemony Orzo
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
Marinade
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ⅔ cup lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
  • ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped basil
Mixed Grill and Orzo
  • 4 chicken breasts (or chicken thighs, if you prefer)
  • 3 bell peppers (any color will work, but I like to use a rainbow of colors)
  • 2 zucchini
  • 2 yellow squash
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 (1-pound) box orzo pasta (whole wheat or regular)
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Marinade
  1. In a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, chopped parsley and chopped basil. Whisk vigorously until the marinade is thoroughly combined. Set aside. You should have about 1½ cups of marinade.
Mixed Grill and Orzo
  1. Place the chicken in a large glass bowl, baking dish or large storage bag. Add ½ cup of the marinade to chicken. Flip the chicken around with a pair of tongs to coat it with the marinade. Cover and let it marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to 3 hours.
  2. Prepare your vegetables by slicing the bell peppers into long strips. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into ½ inch rounds. Place all of the sliced vegetables into a large glass bowl, baking dish or large storage bag. Add the remaining marinade (about 1 cup) to the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and let them marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to 3 hours.
  3. Cut the red onion in half and then cut it into ½ inch slices. Store separately from the other vegetables until ready to grill. I don't typically marinate the onions with the other vegetables, or else everything ends up smelling like onion.
  4. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Using tongs, place the peppers, zucchini and squash on the hot grill (we usually use a grill basket for our vegetables) and reserve the vegetable marinade. Toss the sliced onions in the marinade and place them on the grill too. Grill all the veggies until they're softened and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, flipping them as they start to get grill marks. Once cooked through with good color, transfer the cooked vegetables to a serving platter.
  5. Grill the marinated chicken breasts until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes per side (to an internal temperature of 165 degrees). Discard the marinade that was used for the chicken. Once fully cooked, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing. Add the sliced chicken to the serving platter next to the vegetables.
  6. Meanwhile, boil the water for your orzo and cook it according to package directions. Drain the orzo and spoon it into a large bowl. Add the reserved marinade from the vegetables and toss. Add ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir to combine everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the grilled meat and vegetables.
Notes
Orzo is pasta that is shaped liked rice. You should be able to find it in the pasta aisle of your regular grocery store. If you can't find it, you could substitute another small pasta, such as ditalini, or even rice.

You could also marinate and grill shrimp, steak, etc., in addition to, or instead of chicken.
Recipe by Sweet Peas and ABCs at https://www.sweetpeasandabcs.com/summertime-mixed-grill-lemony-orzo/