Tomato and Asparagus Orzo Salad

I realize that I haven't posted any recipes recently (ok, it's been about 5 months). I've been a little distracted by life, but I promise that I have continued to test new recipes and now I'm back with new blog posts!

I made the following orzo salad to bring to a family barbeque. It is a great addition to a cookout, but can also be served during a dinner at home with burgers or grilled chicken, for example. One of the great things about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to serve it. The salad also made great leftovers.

The original recipe didn't call for asparagus, but I felt like it could use another vegetable to add substance to the salad. I think it would also be delicious if you added feta cheese. If you wanted to turn this into an entree, you could probably add chunks of grilled chicken or grilled shrimp. The options are endless!

Tomato and Asparagus Orzo Salad

(adapted from Food.com recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta
• 6 asparagus stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 container grape tomatoes, chopped in half
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 -2 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Directions:

1. Cook orzo according to the package directions, until al dente. Add asparagus chunks to the orzo for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

2. In a separate, large bowl, mix grape tomatoes, chopped basil, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

3. Drain pasta and asparagus mixture, and add to the tomato mixture. Stir well.

4. Add in parmesan cheese, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve cold.

*Makes approximately 6 servings.

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Light Shrimp and Asparagus Orzo with Feta and Tomatoes

My coworkers were discussing orzo recently, and it got me thinking that while I have loved orzo any time it has been served, I have never actually made it myself. Inspired by this conversation, I bought a box of orzo the next time I was at the grocery store. Next, I needed to figure out what to do with it!

I found a recipe for a shrimp, feta, and asparagus orzo on Pinterest, and knew I had found a winner. Shrimp and asparagus is a favorite combination of mine, and cheese is always delicious! Honestly, the feta cheese was a nice bonus, but I think you could easily leave it out if you aren’t a fan of feta or want to lower the calories in the dish. I wanted a bit more flavor and liquid in the dish, so I decided to add in a can of Italian stewed tomatoes - they were the perfect addition!

The one thing I forgot as I was cooking this meal is that if you try to cook garlic and red pepper flakes with vegetable oil in a higher temperature, you run the risk of burning the kitchen down and choking simultaneously. Lesson learned. Luckily Rick was there to help me open some windows and turn on the kitchen fan, so no permanent harm done! Learn from my mistakes, and don’t cook the garlic and red pepper flakes above anything more than low to medium heat.

The finished product was colorful, flavorful, and yummy. Aside from the garlic/red pepper mishap, it was very easy to make and took only 20 minutes or so from start to finish. The orzo is very light but filling, and I think this will be a great dish to add to my rotation this spring!

Light Shrimp and Asparagus Orzo with Feta and Tomatoes (adapted from Serious Eats)

Ingredients:

4 ounces orzo
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil, and a little more for the pasta
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces 
salt and pepper
3/4 - 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or more to taste)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook orzo according to package instructions until cooked al dente. Drain and return to the pot, and toss with a little vegetable oil to keep from clumping.
2. Add oil to a skillet on low-medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 3-4 minutes, until the asparagus is tender but crisp. Move the asparagus to the sides of the skillet and add the shrimp. Cook approximately 2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Add the tomatoes (including most of the juice in the can) to the skillet and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Add the orzo to the skillet, along with the basil, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil and feta. Stir to combine, allow orzo to heat through, then remove from heat and serve immediately.

*Serves 3-4

Chicken Lo Mein

In my daily search of Pinterest recipes a few months ago, I came across a few "one pot" recipes for various pasta dishes. Because I hate having to use more than one pot or pan when I'm cooking (and Rick hates it more so, since he has to wash said dishes!), I was intrigued but skeptical. I pinned the recipes and moved on.

This weekend, I found myself with some defrosted, uncooked chicken and no planned menu for dinner. I went to my trusty "Favorite Recipes" page on Pinterest and came across the "One Pot Wonder Chicken Lo Mein" recipe in my pins. After a quick trip to the grocery store for green onions, I had all the necessary ingredients and was good to go.

True to its name, it only required one pot, and was pretty tasty! I had read in the comments that there tended to be too much liquid still in the pot after the meal cooked, so I made some adjustments, but it was still a little more liquid-y that I would have preferred. I also added more chicken than the initial recipe called for. Rick enjoyed it, but we both agreed that it could have used some additional vegetables. The next time I make this, I will add snow peas and possibly broccoli.

All in all, I was happy with the recipe. It was extremely easy and fast to make, the sauce was delicious, and it seemed much healthier than if we ordered it from a Chinese restaurant. I served it with a bowl of steamed edamame (a microwave-ready bag from the frozen vegetable section of the grocery store) and it made for a pretty well-balanced meal!

Chicken Lo Mein

(Adapted from The Wholesome Dish)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. uncooked chicken breast, cut into small chunks
10 oz. uncooked whole wheat linguine, broken in half
12 baby carrots, cut lengthwise into quarters
1 bunch green onions, white portion removed and green portion chopped into 3 inch strips
Additional vegetables, as desired (suggested: snow peas, broccoli, baby corn)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp corn starch
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Add the uncooked chicken, then the linguine, then the rest of the ingredients to a large pot and cover.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked and the liquid is mostly gone. Enjoy!

*Makes 5-6 servings

Pappardelle with Sausage, Peppers, & Onions

I love this recipe. I was originally drawn in by the picture of the meal on The Cozy Apron's website, despite my ambivalence towards spicy Italian sausage. But I was totally sold on Italian sausage after taking my first bite of the finished product.

I was a little nervous that the recipe would be time-consuming to make because of the number of ingredients, but it was extremely easy and quick to throw together. I sliced the onion and peppers in advance so that I just had to throw everything together in the pot when I got home from work. And once you cut open the casing of the Italian sausage, the meat will easily come out in chunks, ready to be added to the pot. 

Rick and I were both thrilled with this fun twist on the standard sausage and peppers, and I can't wait to make it again!

Pappardelle with Sausage, Peppers, & Onions

(adapted from The Cozy Apron)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive oil
3 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed and crumbled into large chunks
1 onion, sliced
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice (or fresh tomato, diced)
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
8 oz Pappardelle noodles, uncooked

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the sausage for a few minutes on each side. Once the sausage is browned, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl. 2. Add the onion into the pot with the sausage drippings, and allow it to caramelize for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 3. Once the onion starts to become golden, add the salt, Italian seasoning and black pepper, and stir to combine. Then add in the bell peppers, and saute with the onion for about 2 minutes. 4. Add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to reduce for a few minutes, until almost completely reduced. 5. Add in the diced tomatoes with the juice, return the spicy Italian sausage back into the pot, and gently stir the mixture to combine. Allow it to simmer for about 3-4 minutes , then turn the heat off. 6. Add in the chopped parsley and about half of the basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles. 7. Prepare the pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package. Drain the noodles and add them directly into the sauce, tossing the noodles with the sauce. 8. When serving noodles, garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining basil, and if desired, an extra drizzle of olive oil.

*Serves 4

Light Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Have you figured out yet that I'm crazy about all things lasagna? I previously told you about my love for lasagna, and my need to find ways to keep my portion sizes in check. So when I saw this Skinnytaste.com recipe for spinach lasagna rolls, of course I was hooked. (As a side note, Skinnytaste is one of my favorite blogs for healthy recipes - I haven't gone wrong with a single one of her recipes yet!)

Making this meal was a little time-intensive, but the upside is that it makes about 11-12 rolls, and since 1-2 rolls is the perfect amount for dinner, it means that while I'm putting in a lot of time, I'm ending up with a lot of leftovers. And the lasagna rolls are much easier to freeze than a pan of lasagna would be. Besides, it's pretty fun to roll up the lasagna noodles!

The most frustrating part of the preparation is in draining the frozen spinach, but I discovered a tip that makes it much more manageable. When you take the spinach out of the freezer, put the frozen spinach block into a microwaveable bowl and microwave for approximately 2 minutes. Then wrap the spinach in 3 layers of paper towels, and over a colander (in case the paper towel rips), gather up the paper towels around the spinach and squeeze the water out. 

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

(adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

Lasagna noodles, cooked (approximately 12 noodles)

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese (you can also use fat-free ricotta, but I think it's lacking in taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

salt and pepper, to taste

32 oz. tomato sauce

3 oz. part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. 

2. Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with 1 cup of tomato sauce.

3. Spread lasagna noodles in a row on a piece of wax paper or tin foil. Pat lasagna noodles dry. Spread 1/3 cup of the spinach mixture evenly over a lasagna noodle, leaving some space at the end of the noodle. Roll the noodle up carefully and place the roll seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles.

4. Ladle remaining sauce evenly across the top of the lasagna rolls, and top evenly with the mozzarella cheese. 

5. Wrap the baking dish with tin foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the cheese melts.

*Makes approximately 12 rolls.

Pappardelle with Shrimp

I received a couple of great cookbooks for Christmas, but due to my slight obsession with Pinterest for finding recipes, I haven’t been making full use of them. This week, though, I pulled out one of my favorite Weight Watchers cookbooks for inspiration, and found this great pasta recipe.

The pappardelle was more expensive than the boxed pastas, but so much more fun to eat! And the lightness of the egg noodles made a big difference in taste, so I would splurge on buying the proper noodles.

As for the sauce, I was thrown off a bit by the presence of eggs when I first looked at the recipe, but it really caused the sauce to stick to the pappardelle. The mint added a surprising twist to the flavor - and we had enough fresh mint left over for a mojito or two!

All in all, it was a light and delicious dinner, and met my requirements of being quick and easy to make, with few ingredients. This is being added to my list of favorite pasta dishes.

Pappardelle with Shrimp

(adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)

Ingredients:

8 oz. pappardelle (a flat egg noodle, which can be found freshly made or packaged in the pasta aisle of the grocery store)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

⅓ cup dry wine

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 large eggs

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint

Directions:

1. Cook pappardelle according to package directions; drain.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in la arge nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook until opaque. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add broth.

3. Beat eggs, 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese, and the pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in ½ cup of the hot broth from the skillet.

4. Add the mixture to the skillet, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to simmering and stir in pasta. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.

5. Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle with mint and remaining parmesan cheese.

*Serves 4 (this recipe can easily be halved to serve 2 people)