Once upon a time, there was a woman who loved to cook and loved to write. So one day, she decided to combine her two loves and create a food blog. A little while later, the woman’s job became very demanding, and life got busier and busier. A little while after that, the woman had a baby, and all the spare time she ever had suddenly disappeared. So, the woman’s poor little food blog languished. Weeks went by without a post. Weeks turned into months and months turned into years. Now it’s not as much a blog as it is a recipe archive of all the woman’s tried-and-true favorites. But thankfully here on Her View From Home, some of the best recipes can be saved from oblivion. So we can all live happily ever after.

Yes, friends. That is my sad little food blog fairy tale. But it does have a happy ending for you. I’m bringing back some of the best recipes from my old blog At The Red Table and sharing them here on HVFH. I’ll feature my family’s favorites and ones that were popular on the blog.

First up, is Pesto Chicken Orzo. Friends, we literally have this at least twice a month. Sometimes once a week. It’s easy to make, comes together quickly, is relatively healthy and tastes really good. With a 7-month old at home, I’ve narrowed my recipe list considerably. If it’s fussy and can’t be thrown together in a few minutes, no dice. This recipe meets all the busy-parent requirements — and it’s delicious, too!

Pesto Chicken Orzo

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

8 oz. orzo

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed or 2 or 3 cups fresh spinach, julienned

1 lb chicken breast, cooked (about 2 cups)

1 cup jarred or fresh basil pesto

Instructions

Cook orzo according to package directions (about 6 minutes), drain well using a mesh strainer. Sprinkle chicken breast with a bit of salt and pepper and saute over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil until no longer pink. In a large bowl, combine warm orzo, chicken, halved tomatoes and spinach with pesto. Stir until well mixed and then serve.