Orange Balsamic Glazed Chicken & Lemon Risotto

So I have to admit I had a lot of fun with this one!  I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone to make this meal with ingredients I have never before used, and I'm glad I did it.  Before tonight I didn't know if I even liked risotto, and now I know I do.  I got both of these recipes from Rachael Ray's Look + Cook cookbook.  I love this book because it shows pictures of the cooking process.  I wanted to take more pictures for this one, but honestly, keeping up with the chicken and risotto at the same time left little time for pictures.  Here are the recipes I used:

Lemon Risotto
*1 quart chicken stock                                  *Salt & Pepper
*1 TBSP EVOO                                          *2 TBSP butter, cut up
*1 small to medium onion, finely chopped      *1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
*2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated      *2 TBSP slivered fresh mint leaves
*1 cup arborio rice                                     *A handful of basil leaves, shredded or torn
*Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
*1/2 Cup dry white wine

    In a medium saucepan, heat the stock and 2 cups of water over medium-low heat.  In a risotto pot or large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the onions and garlic to the risotto pot and saute to soften for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the rice and add the zest of the lemon, then heat the rice for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the wine and cooking to evaporate.  A few ladles at a time, add the warm stock and stir for a minute each time to develop the starch.  Keep adding the stock each time the pan starts to become dry at the edges.  The total cooking time will be about 18 minutes.  When the rice is cooked to al dente, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the butter, lemon juice, cheese, and herbs.  ( I made the mistake of adding a bit too much mint, because I love mint!  But it overpowered a bit... so don't do that. But this is a very good risotto.)

Orange Balsamic Glazed Chicken
*2 TBSP EVOO                                              *1/3 cup orange marmalade
*2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast             *1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
*Salt and Pepper                                              *1/2 chicken stock
*1 tsp poultry seasoning                                    *2 scallions, finely chopped
*2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped             *4 cups baby arugula

    In a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and the poultry seasoning.  Add the chicken to the pan and brown for 5 minutes.  Turn the chicken and season with the rosemary.  Cook for 5 minutes more.  Stir together the marmalade, vinegar, and stock and pour over the chicken.  Let the sauce thicken slightly, 2-3 minutes, until it reaches a thin glaze consistency.  Add the scallions during the last minute of cooking.  Slice the chicken and serve topped with arugula.  (The arugula is new to me and it's more of a spicy lettuce.  I like it, but not a ton of it.  It did go well with this meal though, and I loved the flavor of the chicken.)