Creamy Lemon Butter Zucchini Orzo

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 pound dry orzo pasta (use gluten-free, if needed)
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 medium zucchini and or yellow summer squash grated- I diced these and cooked them in butter- and added them at the end.
• 1/2 bunch kale, finely shredded
• 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon onion powder- I diced onions and added them with the garlic in the beginning
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup whole milk or canned full fat coconut milk
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, and thyme, and cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and kale, cooking another 2-3 minutes, until wilted. Add the 1/2 cup broth and de-glaze the pan. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, onion powder and season with salt and pepper. Slowly continue to pour in the remaining 2 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente, stirring often. It should become very creamy.

1. 2. Stir in the milk, parmesan, and parsley, cook another few minutes until warmed through. As the orzo thickens up on you, add additional broth to thin. It should be creamy, but with just a touch of liquid.

   3. Divide the orzo among bowls and top with fresh thyme...add additional butter...and parmesan, if desired. Hint? It's very desirable...
   
   Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

• 10-12 oz. penne or ziti pasta
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
• ½ tsp. onion powder, more or less to taste
• ½ tsp. garlic salt, more or less to taste
• 2 cups shredded swiss cheese, separated
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked with garlic salt and a little paprika and chunked
• ¾ cup bacon, cooked and chopped
• ¾ cup diced ham
• Panic bread crumbs
• Butter

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. I always add a little olive oil after I drain it and stir in around so the pasta noodles don't stick together or the pot.
2. Heat cream cheese on stove over medium low heat until melted. Stir in heavy cream. Stir until completely combined. Add onion powder and garlic salt until it tastes how you would like it to. Stir 1 cup of cheese until smooth consistency.
3. In a 9x13, layer noodles, chicken, bacon and ham. Pour sauce over top. Sprinkle top with ½ cup cheese and Panko bread crumbs that have been browned in some butter.  
4. I actually made this without the bacon or the ham and threw in some spinach.  It was yummy!
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Asian Pomegranate Coconut Chicken Skillet

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed or tenderloins

Rub

1 Tbl olive oil

1 tsp EACH  ground ginger, garlic powder

1/2 tsp EACH onion powder, salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Pomegranate Coconut Sauce

3/4 c. coconut milk

3/4 cup pomegranate juice

3 Tbl hoisin sauce

2 Tbl lime juice

1 Tbl soy sauce

1 Tbl rice vinegar

1 Tbl brown sugar

1 tsp EACH garlic powder, dried basil

1/2 tsp EACH onion powder, ground ginger

1/4 tsp EACH salt, pepper

1 1/2 tsp Sriracha/ Asian hot red chili sauce- more or less to taste 

Garnish

1/2 cup peanuts crushed

1/3 toasted coconut flakes

3 Tbl pomegranate seeds

cilantro

1. Mix Rub Ingredients together in a small bowl and rub all over chicken.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken to plate.
3. Add Pomegranate Coconut Sauce and simmer until thickened to desired consistency, Add chicken back to skillet, and spoon sauce over chicken. 
4. Garnish with desired toppings and serve over rice or coconut rice.
   
   Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Greek Pastitsio Casserole Style

*Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces penne pasta
1 pound ground turkey or ground sirloin
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (from about 1 large onion)
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 ounces light cream cheese
2 cups milk, 1% of skim work great
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained- I used two cans of tomatoes, did not drain them and added no milk
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:
Coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the broiler.

In a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water, cook the penne pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add beef or turkey to the pan with the diced onions and 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through. Drain excess grease from the meat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute or so. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture, stirring to combine, and cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Add the cream cheese in pieces, scattering it over the meat. Let it melt into the meat and stir to combine. Whisk or stir in the milk, nutmeg and tomatoes. Stir to combine well and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook 5-6 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened and is thoroughly heated through.

Stir in the pasta and spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pasta and broil for about 3-5 minutes (watching carefully so it doesn’t burn!). Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let it stand fora bout 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: adapted from My Recipes (a Cooking Light recipe

Orange Chicken Rice Bowl

So....there are lots of easy things I cook that I don't have a recipe for. This is one of them. The reason I'm posting it is so I can actually remember this dish from seeing it on my blog. Its fast, easy and really good.

The chicken is "Orange Chicken" from the frozen foods section of Costco. Ya know those people who hand out the samples? Ya, they totally got me! I think it was about $13.00 for a big box with two bags of chicken in it. Anyway, the chicken cooks at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes and then you add the orange sauce.

I made some basamati rice which takes 20 minutes (white or sticky rice is great too). Boil water and add some frozen mixed veggies. I also added freshly chopped onion, mushrooms and celery to the boiling water too. Boiling the veggies is not the best way to cook the veggies, but it is fast because you can throw the fresh and frozen veggies in the same pan-less clean up! Boil the veggies for about 5 minutes is all. Drain the veggies and make sure to salt them when they are done. I then added the veggies to the rice and threw the whole thing together in a bowl.

And BAM! There ya go, its easy, fast and delicious.

Mexican Rice, Beans & Sausage

MEXICAN RICE,  BEANS AND SAUSAGE-Heather

• 1/2 kielbasa ring- slice in half and then slice wideth into thick pepperoni type slices.  Fry in pan with 1/2 c. chopped onion in a little oil.  When browned and warmed add 1 can black beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can corn.  Add chopped olives and chopped cilantro and mix.  Serve over hot rice.  My kids like it with a little cottage cheese on the side.  Quick and Easy