Creamy Parmesan Orzo

I've noticed that I am a one pan type of girl when it comes to cooking.  Casseroles and pasta dishes seem to be my go-to items.  When I do prepare meals that have different components I seem to find lots of great protein and vegetable recipes, but I need to acquire a few more starch recipes.  I came across Cooking Light's Creamy Parmesan Orzo from March 2004 during my quest to purge my extensive magazine collection.  It seemed as simple as they come, so I gave it a try.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo
Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2004

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

• Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Info Per Serving

Calories: 236
Calories from fat: 24%
Fat: 6.4g
Saturated fat: 3.2g
Monounsaturated fat: 1.8g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.8g
Protein: 9.9g
Carbohydrate: 34.8g
Fiber: 1.7g
Cholesterol: 12mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 412mg
Calcium: 82mg

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes).

Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately. (I omitted the basil and pine nuts because I did not have any on hand.)

In one week, I have made CL's Creamy Parmesan Orzo three times!  I initially served it with rosemary lemon chicken kabobs and the Green Beans and Red Onion with Warm Mustard Vinaigrette recipe from my last post.  This pasta side dish is fantastic, it doesn't call for very much cheese, but the flavor of the Parmesan comes through sharply.  We enjoyed it so much the first time that we experimented two days later with whole wheat orzo, and it was just as tasty.  When my parents flew into town from Chicago for cousin Timmy's wedding, I made this a third time because I knew they would love it.  CL's Creamy Parmesan Orzo would compliment any main dish well; steaks, burgers, grilled fish or chicken would all benefit from being served along this delicious side.

-Heather

Green Beans and Red Onion with Warm Mustard Vinaigrette

Organizing my home has been my top priority lately.  I am trying to de-clutter as much as possible so that my transition from super-fun summer to super-lame school year can be a smooth one.  Stacks and stacks of cooking magazines were found in my closet and I have been going through them, ripping out recipes to try.  Our best friends Stephen and Christy and their little guy Andrew were coming over for dinner yesterday and I knew I wanted to grill some Lemon Rosemary chicken kabobs. From my giant new pile of to-try recipes, I chose Green Beans and Red Onions with Warm Mustard Vinaigrette from Cooking Light, December 2003 as our vegetable side.

Green Beans and Red Onion with Warm Mustard Vinaigrette
Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2003

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 1 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

• Cook green beans in boiling water for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender, and drain. Combine the green beans and onion in a large bowl.

• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and black pepper; cook over medium heat 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated, stirring vinaigrette constantly with a whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over bean mixture; toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Nutritional info per serving

• Calories: 69
• Calories from fat: 38%
• Fat: 2.9g
• Saturated fat: 0.4g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g
• Protein: 2.6g
• Carbohydrate: 10.4g
• Fiber: 4.3g
• Cholesterol: 0.0mg
• Iron: 1.5mg
• Sodium: 232mg
• Calcium: 54mg

Cook green beans in boiling water for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender, and drain. (I steamed mine for 7 minutes.)

Combine the green beans and onion in a large bowl.

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and black pepper; cook over medium heat 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated, stirring vinaigrette constantly with a whisk.

Drizzle vinaigrette over bean mixture; toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

WOW.  CL's Green Beans and Red Onion with Warm Mustard Vinaigrette is awesome!  I haven't been this excited about a vegetable side dish in quite some time.  This recipe is very easy to make and the sauce is made from pantry staples that most people always have on hand.  I actually steamed the green beans earlier in the day and just nuked them in the microwave for two minutes before adding the sauce.  It really couldn't be more simple.  All of the vegetable eaters at the table gave these green beans two thumbs up, and Christy asked me to send her the recipe.  This recipe is already on the menu for next week when my parents come to town.

-Heather

Cracked Pepper Baked Potato Chips

Chips are one of my favorite snacks; since they are not the healthiest option to munch on I have dabbled in making my own baked versions of the classics.  I have successfully made pita and tortilla chips and decided to give potato chips a try.  I looked to Ellie Krieger’s book, So Easy.  I made her Cracked Pepper Baked Potato Chips to go along with Cooking Light’s Turkey Meatball Reuben Subs.  These chips turned out really well.  I baked them a few minutes longer than called for, and used a mandolin to create even chip widths.  I salted them generously after removing them from the oven and they were tasty both warm and at room temperature.  

-Heather

Cracked Pepper Baked Potato Chips
Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
3 large russet potatoes (2 1/4 pounds total) sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
Salt

Directions
Toss potatoes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil, and pepper until well coated. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange potato slices in 1 layer on 2 cookie sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until chips are crisped and lightly browned. Remove from oven, season with salt and cool.

Toss potatoes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil, and pepper until well coated. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange potato slices in 1 layer on 2 cookie sheets.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until chips are crisped and lightly browned. Remove from oven, season with salt and cool.

Cold Noodle and Carrot Salad





The weather in Southern California has been beautiful lately and my poor family back in Chicago has been hit with terrible blizzards. My Crazy Cousin Bud (CCB for short) loves taunting our family over Facebook by reminding them of how gorgeous and sunny it is here while they are busy shoveling out their cars to get around town. I am not so evil, but I did want to take advantage of this unseasonably warm weather by cooking something a bit more suited to summer. I decided on an Asian inspired grilled chicken with Cold Noodle and Carrot Salad and garlic and ginger steamed broccoli. The meal was delicious and the Cold Noodle and Carrot Salad was phenomenal, Terry couldn’t stop raving about it. It was extremely simple to make, nothing more than cooking pasta, a little chopping and a little mixing. I made it during the afternoon and we enjoyed it that evening. The leftovers also held up very well.

-Heather

Cold Noodle and Carrot Salad

(Adapted from The kitchn)

8 ounces whole wheat angel hair pasta
3 large carrots
1 bunch (about 6) scallions
1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cook the noodles for 6-8 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and toss with just a drizzle of sesame oil to keep them from sticking together. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

Peel the carrots and shred or shave with a peeler. You should have about 2 cups of loose carrot shavings. Chop the scallions into small pieces.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until they become fragrant; watch to be sure that they do not burn.

Whisk the sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce together and taste. Adjust for taste. Toss the carrots, scallions, ginger, chilled noodles and sesame seeds together and serve.



Cook the noodles for 6-8 minutes, or according to package directions.

Drain and toss with just a drizzle of sesame oil to keep them from sticking together. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

Peel the carrots and shred or shave with a peeler. You should have about 2 cups of loose carrot shavings. Chop the scallions into small pieces.



 Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until they become fragrant; watch to be sure that they do not burn.



Whisk the sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce together and taste. Adjust for taste.

Toss the carrots, scallions, ginger, chilled noodles and sesame seeds together and serve.

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

 

It feels like I have been waiting fifty years for the new season of Lost to start.  I LOVE this show.  Terry and I didn't even get into it until the middle of the second season when our friend Kevin insisted that we borrow his copy of the first seasons DVDs and give them a try.  Terry and I literally immersed ourselves into the first season and were hooked, we watched the first half of the second season on the internet and then we became regular watchers.  Last night we invited over our fellow Lost worshipers, my cousins, Timmy and CCB (crazy cousin Bud) for dinner and to watch the sixth and last season premier.  These boys really appreciate my cooking so I decided to indulge them and pull out the recipe for Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese.  I first became acquainted with this recipe when Joe reviewed it on his blog, Culinary in the Desert, and it got rave reviews on the CLBB.

Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
(Adapted from Joe and from Rachel Ray)

16 ounces dry cavatappi pasta
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 jalapeño chiles, seeded, ribs removed and thinly sliced
2 serrano chiles, seeded, ribs removed and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces cream cheese, sliced into cubes
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded Mexican-blend cheese

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and place back into the pot off heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Stir in jalapeños, serranos and garlic - cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the pot with the drained pasta.

Preheat the broiler.

In the same saucepan, add milk, cream cheese and onion - heat over medium-low, stirring, until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour in to the pot with the pasta and add the cheese - season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, tossing well to coat. Scoop mixture into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Place under the broiler and bake until lightly browned on top, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

Makes about 6 servings.

 

 In a large pot of boiling, salted water, add pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain and place back into the pot off heat.

 

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Stir in jalapeños, serranos and garlic - cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the pot with the drained pasta (I forgot this step and left it in with the next step.) Preheat the broiler.

  In the same saucepan, add milk, cream cheese and onion - heat over medium-low, stirring, until very smooth, about 5 minutes.

 

 Pour in to the pot with the pasta and add the cheese - season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, tossing well to coat.

 

Scoop mixture into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Place under the broiler and bake until lightly browned on top, about 3 to 5 minutes.

First off, Lost was AMAZING, as I imagined it would be, just like our Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese!  It seems like it would be a tedious recipe, but it is not at all.  There are very few steps and those steps foster delicious results.  It really does taste like a pasta version of the Jalapeno Popper football snacks that we all know and love.  In my photos I made a mistake and left the jalapenos in the pot with the cheeses, but it still turned out great.  Before sticking the dish under the broiler I added some Panko bread crumbs and a light spray of cooking oil to create a crunchy topping.  Between the four of us we ate almost the entire thing, and it was served as a side dish!  I have already thrown this one into the "winner" pile and I am sure I will return back to it many times in the future.  

-Heather