This dish is a one pot wonder!  It's super simple to make and makes a lovely comfort food dinner!  Orzo is a fab pasta for all the family – a rice shaped pasta, it also provides a lovely texture for a weaning baby. 

Makes 4 Adult Portions 

4 skinless chicken breasts

1½  tsp paprika

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp cinnamon 

½ tsp salt (omit for baby)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped 

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stick celery, chopped 

4 mushrooms, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

Juice of 1 lemon

250g orzo pasta 

1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves roughly chopped

500ml low salt chicken stock 

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. 
2. Mix all your spices in a bowl add chicken and coat evenly. Leave for around 10 minutes or prepare ahead of time. 
3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large oven-proof pan over a medium heat. Brown the chicken on both sides. Set the chicken aside.
4. Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry off the vegetables until soft. 
5. Add the chicken back to the pan, squeeze the lemon over the chicken and vegetables and add 100ml of the stock. 
6. Place in the oven with the lid on for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. 
7. Remove the pan from the oven and add the rest of the stock, orzo pasta and the chopped parsley. Return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes with the lid off. 

How to Freeze:

Allow the dish to cool, portion into your pots, transfer to the fridge and then to the freezer. 

How to adapt for baby

6m+ - Getting used to new textures:

Its best never to blend pasta as it is starchy. Remove the vegetables and chicken. To start blend one part chicken to 3 part vegetables until your child accepts the new texture. Mix with the orzo pasta and enjoy. 

8m+ - As a textured purée

Shred the chicken and mash the vegetables mixing together with the pasta to form a textured (no lump) purée. 

9m+ - lumpy purée 

Shred the chicken and mix together with the soft vegetables and pasta.