Panko Chicken, Creamy Spinach Orzo

Instructions

• Prepare the spinach sauce for the orzo. In a pan, sauté 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 chopped French shallots, and 3 chopped garlic cloves for 2 minutes. Add 5 oz of baby spinach and cook until completely wilted.
• Transfer everything to a blender with 1 block of plain silken tofu (300g), the zest and juice of half a lemon, 1 cup of basil leaves, and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Prepare the chicken. Generously salt the 4 to 6 chicken cutlets with 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Prepare 3 bowls: one with ½ cup flour, one with 2 beaten eggs, and one with 1 cup panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Dip each cutlet in the flour, then in the eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.
• Cook the orzo. Cook 2 cups of dry orzo according to package directions in boiling water. Reserve ½ cup of cooking water, then mix the drained orzo with the spinach sauce. Add a bit of cooking water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
• Cook the cutlets. In a pan, heat ½ inch of neutral oil. When the temperature is hot and slightly simmering, cook 2-3 cutlets at a time for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Place on a plate and sprinkle with flaky salt. Slice into pieces. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Serve. Arrange the creamy spinach orzo on plates, add the sliced chicken on top, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan if desired. You can also serve the panko chicken with honey (or even hot honey) if you like it!