And yours is picture-perfect gorgeous!
For @BeefeaterRocks
I made the meatballs separately from the orzo:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. panko
1 large shallot, minced
5 oz. frozen spinach, wrung and divided
1 t. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the meatball ingredients by hand (using 1/2 of the spinach), and knead for a few minutes until cohesive. Cover and chill 30 minutes (to 2 hours). Divide into 10 meatballs (I used a #20 cookie scoop). Bake on an oiled rack at 400 for 20 minutes, then hit with the broiler for 2-3 minutes to desired color. *If I hadn’t doubled the batch to have some all-purpose leftovers, I might have added some feta here. Also, in season I think some grated (wrung) zucchini in the meatballs would be nice.
Meanwhile, make the orzo:
1/4 of a large onion, diced
1 medium carrot, grated
1/4 c. diced celery
1/4 t. dill
2 c. stock
4 oz. orzo
The remaining half of the wrung spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly squeezed lemon
In a medium Dutch oven, heat 2 T. olive oil. Saute the mirepoix until soft - 3-4 minutes. Add the dill and saute 1 minute more. Add the stock, bring to a boil, stir in orzo, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until al dente - about 9 minutes. Stir in the remaining spinach and remove from heat. Add a squeeze of lemon, adjust seasonings. Plate and serve with the meatballs, passing more lemon slices.
Inspo came from here, although I omitted the garlic, and subbed dill for the oregano and thyme.