Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese with Parmesan Black Pepper Arborio Rice Pilaf

     So, I was trying to go for a Chicken-Orzo salad..... I thought I had Orzo... turns out, that isn't so. 

Therefore, I decided I would use this Arborio rice I had sitting in my pantry.

Summer has decided to grace Alaska with its presence... we shall see how long it lasts... we have had a few gorgeous days, and it has been a loooooong time coming! 

BreeAnna and I the other day were saying who would've thought that in our rebellious teen years we would be the ones saying we would want to live in Salt Lake City..... 

Annnywho.. back to my summer salad. I love summers for the reason I feel that I can make a simple yummy salad and call it good for dinner.

For the Chicken:

Ryan felt the need to buy Saute Express packet things when he was mezmerized by them at the store. 

turns out, I really liked it, we used the Garlic and butter ones... super easy

So, melt the saute express, I used a grill pan... cook chicken on both side, I cooked mine fairly high to get a little crisp on the outside. Once finished, let cool and cut into bite size pieces. 

Salad:

I used my favorites

Mixed Greens

Tomato

I roasted a Red Bell Pepper

Feta Cheese

Red Onion

I tried a new dressing that was a light Caesar Vinaigrette 

Parmesan Black Pepper Arborio Rice Pilaf

This was very tasty, I halved the recipe for Ryan and myself... seeing as this is totally not healthy

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice, rinsed in a colander until water runs clear

• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• Salt, to taste

1. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rice; stir to coat. (Can turn off heat and let stand several hours.)
2. Add broth, cover, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until stock is absorbed and rice is creamy and soft with a little "chew" at the center, about 12 minutes. Stir in cheese and pepper; add salt, if necessary. Serve hot.