Greek Chicken & Everything Orzo

My neighbor brought this over last week and it was GREAT! It's a Rachael Ray recipe and the only thing she altered is that she added fresh spinach.


Ingredients

* 4 cloves garlic, 2 chopped, divided
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
* 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, divided
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
* 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
* Salt and coarse black pepper
* 1/2 pound orzo pasta
* 1 red onion, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
* 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
* 1/2 pound Greek feta, crumbled
* 3-4 Greek hot peppers, chopped or a couple of tablespoons banana pepper rings, chopped

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the orzo pasta.

Crush two cloves of garlic and place in a shallow dish with about 1/4 cup EVOO, along with the one thinly sliced lemon, red pepper flakes, oregano and chicken or shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the meat or shrimp has marinated for 10 minutes and the skillet is screaming hot, add the chicken or shrimp and the lemon slices. Cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, or cook the shrimp for 6-8 minutes, until pink and firm, tossing frequently with tongs. Squeeze the juice of remaining lemon over the pan.

When you add chicken to pan, drop the orzo in boiling water and start the vegetables. If you’re cooking shrimp, start the orzo and the vegetables and then throw the shrimp into the pan.

Meanwhile, heat a second skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining two cloves chopped garlic and toss for a minute, then add the olives and tomatoes to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more. Drain the orzo and toss in a serving dish with the vegetables, along with the parsley, feta and hot peppers. Adjust the black pepper to your taste and drizzle with a little extra EVOO.

Serve the chicken or shrimp alongside the orzo.

O'Henry Bars

Jen requested that I put these on the blog. I got the recipe from Cecily.
O'Henry Bars
1 c. sugar, 3/4c. to 1 c. light corn syrup, 1 c. peanut butter
Bring to boil, remove from heat.
Add: 3 c. rice krispies and 1 c. unsalted roasted peanuts
Spread in greased 9x13 pan
Melt in microwave 1 cup dark chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips
Spread on top of nut mixture.
Freeze 20 minutes to set. Cut into bars.

Gumbo Ya-Ya

We have been served different things disguised as Gumbo at restaurants in the past, including a mixture more akin to minestrone soup --which was delicious! just not Gumbo.

In case you ever feel like you have to eat real Gumbo, here is a great recipe to try. (Or better yet, come visit me in Baton Rouge and I'll cook it for you!) It is Emeril's, and my SIL taught me how to make it. We've altered it a bit (and I will post the changes in parentheses). It is ridiculously easy, if a little time-consuming, but don't let that scare you off: I pulled it together on Sunday for company coming to dinner and I was only able to start cooking after 2pm. BUT, we ate off of the one batch for three days, AND Sophia loved it. Gumbo please! Mas Gumbo Mami! Gumbo pleeeease!

1 hen, about 6 pounds (I actually use a pcg of boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
8 cups water
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
2 ribs celery, each cut into 6 pieces
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 pound andouille or other smoked sausage, finely chopped, plus 1 pound smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices (Sausages: I slice the Andouille and crumble the Italian sausage, one pckg. each. Louis likes it with a lot of Italian sausage)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions or scallions (I've never had Gumbo with green onions, so I usually don't add any)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I don't add this either)
Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions
In a large, heavy pot place the hen, water, quartered onions, celery pieces, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, partially covered, until the hen is tender, about 2 hours. (Since I use chicken breast, it takes a lot less. I just chop my vegetables and sausage in the meantime) Remove the hen and set aside. Strain and reserve the broth.
In a large, heavy pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the oil and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is a dark, chocolate brown color, about 20 to 25 minutes. (This is very important. A burnt roux will ruin your pot of Gumbo. Stir constantly and everything will be okay.) Add the chopped onions, bell peppers, celery and chopped sausage. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the reserved chicken broth and stir until the roux mixture and broth are well combined. (I used 8 cups of vegetable stock instead because that's how my SIL does it). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. (I cooked it for much less time on Sunday and eve ything was fine, but I hear that these flavors develop better over time).
Meanwhile, remove the skin from the hen and pick the meat off the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Coarsely chop or tear the meat into bite size pieces. Add the chicken and the sliced sausage to the gumbo. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before skimming any fat that has risen to the surface.
Stir in the green onions and parsley and serve the gumbo in individual soup or gumbo bowls over hot, steamed white rice.

That's it! Laissez le bon temps roulez!

Chicken Spaghetti

This is one from The Pioneer Woman which we love. I don't follow the recipe exactly, but here it is for you to make your own adjustments. I saute the onions and peppers with some garlic and mushrooms. I've never added the pimentos and don't use as much cheese.

Ingredients

2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions
Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar and broth.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil). Add broth if needed to desired creaminess.

Pad Thai Pizza

I thought this was so yummy, and even enjoyed it cold the next day for lunch.

Pad Thai Pizza
Pizza crust (the recipe suggests using a Pillsbury premade, but I made my own, much tastier)
2 T. creamy peanut butter
2 T. teriyaki sauce
1 T. Thai chili sauce
1 t. honey
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1/3 c. fresh bean sprouts
1/4 c. chopped salted peanuts
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Prebake pizza dough 5-6 minutes at 425. In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter, teriyaki sauce, chili sauce and honey. Spread half of sauce mixture on pizza crust. Add chicken to remainder sauce and toss to coat. Top pizza crust with chicken and cheese. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with main ingredients.
I cut it into squares like Everybody's pizza salads. It was fun. The kids wouldn't eat the fresh toppings, so next time I'm going to cut off part of the cooked pizza for them before I add the other toppings.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

Katie Kirkham brought this over after our last baby was born and it made serious waves. Simple, fast, and really tasty, we've made it several times since and dubbed it "The Katie". I've used it to feed my army of extended family, so you might want to halve it for yours. Original is from Epicurious. Specific amounts are listed below from that recipe, but, as usual, I never measure and just throw stuff in until it looks good.

3/4lb hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I use 1lb bulk Italian, Katie uses Gr Turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28oz can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4c pesto

10oz cooked ziti or penne pasta (~3c)
8c spinach leaves (~2/3 of 10oz pckg)
6oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
1c grated Parmesan (~3oz)

Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in large saucepan over medium high heat until sausage is cooked through, breaking it up as you go (about 10 min). Add tomatoes with juices. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 mins. Stir in pesto. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing)
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil 9x13 dish (I don't). Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3c Parmesan in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce (I just throw the other stuff in the big saucepan). Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2/3c Parmesan. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 min.

Southeast Asian Chicken & Noodles

My family really liked this one too, which surprised me since it has so many herbs. But I think the rice noodles won them over. I don't make it often, because I don't think the rice noodles have much in the way of nutrients, but it's a light summery meal. Found here via stephmodo.com

Time: 30 minutes. Chinese long beans (or regular green beans) and plenty of fresh herbs turn this Thai-inspired dish into a whole meal.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients

* 8 ounces Thai flat rice noodles
* 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 8 ounces yard-long beans (Chinese long beans) or regular green beans, cut into 2-in. pieces
* 2 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (1 lb. total), sliced 1/2 in. thick
* 1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
* 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, divided
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided

Preparation

1. In a large pot, cook noodles in boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain noodles and transfer to a large serving bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add garlic, long beans, and chicken. Cook until chicken is slightly browned, stirring often, about 4 minutes.

3. Add fish sauce, broth, sugar, ginger, lime juice, and 1/4 cup each basil, mint, and green onions, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and pour over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining basil, mint, and green onions.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
341 (26% from fat)
Protein:
34g
Fat:
10g (sat 1.9)
Carbohydrate:
30g
Fiber:
4.2g
Sodium:
1673mg
Cholesterol:
66mg

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Corn & Spinach

This one is really easy and delicious.

2 tsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels (I use hominy sometimes too)
4 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach (4oz)
2 cups diced chicken breast
1/2 cup salsa
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
1 ounce tortilla chips

1. Heat oil in deep medium saucepan over medium-high heat. saute onion until translucent.
2. Pour in broth. add corn and spinach. reduce heat to medium and cook until corn is heated through and spinach is bright green, 3 minutes. mix in chicken, salsa and lime juice. season soup to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. (I omit the pepper).
3. to serve, divide soup among 4 bowls. top each with cilantro, crushed tortilla chips and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings: 313 calories per serving.

Rigatoni with Sausage & Zucchini

I found this one here, via stephmodo.com
I really enjoyed this one and I went a little easy on the zucchini, but didn't need to. My family loved it! I did use less cheese than indicated in this recipe and it was great!

1 16 oz. box of rigatoni (I prefer Barilla or De Cecco)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. best-quality mild Italian sausage, casings removed (you can buy it without casings at the farmer's market)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic*
1 medium red onion, halved and then sliced
1 lb. zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (about 3 small)
sea salt + freshly ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Cook pasta in a stockpot according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.

3. In the same pan, cook garlic, onion, and zucchini until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper and reserved sausage then cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

4. Pour the sausage mixture into the stockpot full of reserved pasta and carefully toss. Mix in about 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and then sprinkle the remainder on top just before serving. Enjoy immediately!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 Tbl baking powder
2 Tbl. sugar
Dash of salt
1 c. milk
1 egg
2 Tbl oil

Combine dry ingredients. Add wet. Add more milk/water to desired consistency. Melt butter on hot skillet. Cook and enjoy!

I also add vanilla on occasion.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

I am always looking for a good breakfast idea and when I came across this recipe I was very curious. I made them -almost- according to the directions and they were REALLY good. I didn't use as many carrots because I didn't have a pound the day I made them. I probably reduced the carrots to 1 1/4-1 1/2 c. The family ate them up. The spices add a nice surprise and the carrots are hardly noticeable if grated thin.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely grated carrot (about 1 pound)
Cooking spray

Instructions:Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs); add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in 2 cups carrot.Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 4 (1/4 cup) batter mounds onto pan, spreading with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat procedure twice with remaining batter.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

This is one of my favorite recipes from the Pioneer Woman! I, of course, have altered it and don't use heavy cream but I posted the original recipe so you could decide whether or not to make the changes.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 14.5 ounce can artichoke hearts (quartered or whole), drained
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives or other herbs
Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chopped chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.
Delicious!

from: The Pioneer Woman

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs (I use Italian)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg
olive oil
1 16 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 pkg 8 oz mozzarella cheese cut in six slices

Directions:
Combine bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Beat egg in another bowl. Dip chicken in the egg and then in the bread mixture. On stove heat olive oil until hot. Brown the chicken. (Doesn't need to cook through.) Pour sauce in a 9X13 pan and put browned chicken on top. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 40 min or until chicken is cooked through. Then put cheese on chicken and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake 10 min with no foil until cheese is bubbly.

I always serve it with Rotini Noodles cooked and then sprinkled with garlic salt seasoning and olive oil.

Cinnamon Oat Scones

Cinnamon Oat Scones

1 c. white whole wheat flour
¾ c. rolled oats
1/3 c. oat bran
¼ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbl cold butter, cut into cubes
2/3 c. half & half or whole milk
2/3 c. mini cinnamon chips

For Topping:

1 Tbl half & half or whole milk
2 Tbl rolled oats
1 Tbl light brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl mini cinnamon chips

In a bowl, stir together the flour, rolled oats, oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of peas. Pour the half-and-half over the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in mini cinnamon chips into the batter.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press together gently until the dough clings together in a ball. Pat out into a round about 1/2 inch thick and 6 1/2 inches in diameter. Cut the round into 6 wedges. A pizza cutter works great to cut out the wedges. Place the wedges 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
To top the wedges, brush them with the milk and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon mixture. Press down on the topping slightly once all wedges have been coated.
Bake until golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The scones can also be frozen and reheated.

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

To reheat this rich sauce in your microwave oven, allow 15 - 30 seconds on high power.

3/4 C semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 C butter or margarine
2/3 C sugar
1 5-ounce can (2/3 C) evaporated milk (I have used low fat evap milk with great results, but non-fat was not as good)

In a heavy small saucepan melt the chocolate and butter. Add the sugar, gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat. Cool slightly. Serve warm over ice cream.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I seriously cannot resist these when they are warm. They are so dangerous I refuse to make them anymore. (Yet as soon as a banana gets over ripe I am whipping up a batch. uhg)

1 3/4 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 C milk
1/3 C veg. oil
1/2 C mashed banana (I never measure anymore, I just use 1 banana)
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1 C chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine egg, milk, oil, banana and applesauce in a seperate bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Cool for 5 min before removing.

Non Alchohol Mint Julep

4 or 5 mint sprigs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups cold water

3/4 cup lemon juice, fresh

1 1/2 quart ginger ale

Wafer - thin lemon slices for garnish

Rinse mint and remove stems. Place sugar, water and lemon juice in a bowl, mix and then stir in mint leaves. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Fill large pitcher with ice cubes, and strain liquid over the ice. Add ginger ale and lemon slices and serve.

Derby Pie

My friend gave me this recipe. I haven't tried it yet but it should be good.

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pecans (chopped)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup white corn syrup
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1 (9 in) uncooked pie crust

Directions

1. Melt butter.
2. Beat eggs and add with other ingredients. Bake in uncooked pie crustpie crust at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Southwest chicken salad

This was a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken. We served this in pitas with guacamole (see recipe below) and lettuce. Spencer and I thought it was yummy, but maybe a little sweet, so I plan to halve the honey next time.

2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
1 can corn, drained
1/2 c. chopped red peppers (optional: roast them)
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro
Dressing:
3 T. fresh lime juice
3 T. olive oil
4 t. honey
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, pour over the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Serve over salad greens. Optional: Line pita halves with lettuce leaves, fill with chicken salad. OR Place chicken salad off center on tortilla, top with avocado, roll up (wrap).

Homemade Guacamole

3 medium ripe avocados, peeled
1/4 c. finely chopped onion (I used red)
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
2 T. lime juice (I used fresh)
1/8 t. salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, mash avocado with a fork. Stir in the onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with chips.

Not spicy, but flavorful. It was a fun change from our usual.