Greek Chicken Orzo Salad with Tzatziki

This has become one of my go-to meals when I get home from work. Perfect for a weeknight meal and great for leftover lunches the next day. The chicken breasts are marinaded in a simple marinade of oregano, lemon, garlic and olive oil while the orzo pasta salad has all the ingredients of a delicious fresh and zingy Greek salad - kalamata olives, crumbled feta, parsley, mint, lemon, balsamic, chopped red pepper and tomatoes and some cucumber. Finished with a little sumac and red pepper flakes for some heat, topped with creamy cooling tzatziki, this is a tasty and healthy bowl of goodness.

(Serves 4 - £2.67 per portion)

1. Marinade 4 chicken breasts in 3 tbsps olive oil, the juice and zest of one lemon, 1 tbsp of oregano, 4 crushed cloves of garlic and a good amount of sea salt flakes and black pepper in a ceramic/glass baking dish.

2. Mix well and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours or at room temperature for 30 mins.
3. Remove the chicken from the excess marinade and fry over a medium/high heat in a nonstick frying pan for a few minutes on each side until nicely golden. Return them to the dish with the leftover marinade, cover with foil and roast at 160C fan/180C for 15 mins until cooked through. For the last few mins of cooking, remove the foil and drizzle over 1 tbsp of runny honey. Leave to rest for 10 mins before slicing.
4. Grate the flesh of a cucumber (with the seeds removed) and place in a sieve with 1 tsp salt for 20 mins to draw out excess moisture. Then add this to 250ml greek yoghurt with a handful of finely chopped mint and some seasoning.
5. Cook 300g orzo pasta according to the packet instructions and set aside. Once cool, add 1 deseeded chopped cucumber, 1 finely chopped red onion, 1 chopped red pepper, 4 deseeded and chopped tomatoes, a handful of roughly chopped kalamata olives, some roughly chopped mint and parsley, and the juice of a lemon. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp sumac and 1 tsp chilli flakes or red pepper flakes, 100g lightly crumbled feta cheese and some seasoning. Mix well and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
6. Spoon the orzo pasta into large bowls, top with the sliced chicken, spoon over any resting juices, sprinkle over some toasted pine nuts and add the dollops of the tzatziki. Enjoy.