ORZO SALAD WITH ROASTED CHICKEN

I know you usually list the protein first, but the orzo salad was the star of the show.

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
dried herbs (I used basil, parsley and oregano)
1 box Orzo 
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped 
4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped 
1 red onion sliced thin 
sun dried tomatoes packed in oil 
1 can black olives drained and chopped 
3 or 4 roasted pepper chopped 
1 bunch arugula 
1 medium shallot chopped 
2/3 cup olive oil 
2/3 cup red wine vinegar 
dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Liberally sprinkle the dried herbs onto the chicken and cook for 40 minutes.

Put up a pot of water, and cook the orzo according to package directions. drain and cool (make sure you use a colander with small holes – most regular colanders’ holes are so big that the orzo will fall through. You can line a regular colander with cheese cloth also). Set aside.

Put the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and roasted pepper in a large, sealable container.

In a jar with a lid, combine the shallot, oil, vinegar and mustard and shake until it’s emulsified. Pour over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly. Serve alongside the hot chicken.