Greek Grill Kabobs with Greek Pasta Salad

So this was a recipe inspired from a Food Network recipe by Rachael Ray.  I know, I know.  She is not my favorite cook (please, clear your throat, Lady!), but I was searching for something that would use some ingredients we had on hand. So, this fit the bill.  

Let me tell you, it was pretty darn good.  The marinade, and therefore the chicken, had some really good flavor.  The olives added a tangy saltiness, the red pepper flakes added some heat, and the lemon brought on a zippy citrus accent.  Over all a nice flavorful marinade.

The pasta salad was really good as well.  The pine nuts added some nutty texture.  I marinated the red onions in the lemon juice for a little while beforehand to kind of pickle them and cut out some of the oniony bite.  The feta cheese made the pasta really come together kind of like a Greek "macaroni and cheese".  This was a fun night-in kind of dinner!

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound pasta
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive tapenade
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lemons, juiced and zested
• 1/3 plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 chicken tenders
• Black pepper
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
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Directions

Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high.

Place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil for the pasta salad. When the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta works, in a small bowl combine the garlic, oregano, rosemary, tapenade, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon with about 1/3 cup Olive Oil. Place the chicken in separate shallow dish or bowl and season with salt and pepper then divide the dressing between the bowls and coat the chicken evenly. Skewer the chicken on metal skewers. Grill the chicken 10 to 12 minutes until firm and juices run clear, turning the kabobs frequently.

Drain pasta and combine with pine nuts, onions, parsley, feta crumbles, the juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve the orzo salad with chicken along side.