Greek Orzo salad

I will admit that I bought some of the ingredients for this salad on a total whim!  I was in the pasta aisle in the grocery store when what should appear to my wandering eye but pasta on sale, 3 for $5.  How can I say no?  It’s like a Buy One Get One Half Off sale on shoes.  You can’t pass it up.  So I tossed the pasta I was there for into the cart and I tossed in another box of a kind I knew we would need eventually and then I decided to toss in the orzo in hopes of making this salad eventually.

I was inspired by a former coworker who now teaches at a different school.  Whenever we had potluck type gatherings she would bring this salad.  I always asked for the recipe but got the ever classic, “Oh!  It’s so easy!  I just toss a little of this and a little of that in and viola!”  Argh!  I don’t do well with that type of response when I’ve never made the recipe.  So I searched all over the internet for a recipe that sounded like it would taste similar to the fabulous salad Sue always brought.  I added a few extra ingredients to the recipe to suit my own tastes.  I thought it turned out wonderful.  I suggest making this for a large gathering rather than just two people otherwise you will be eating this for a week, like me!!

Enjoy!

Orzo, Feta, and Tomato Salad with Marjoram Vinaigrette

source: Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

• 1 pound orzo
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 6 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
• 1 English cucumber, seeded and chopped I added this

• 24 ounces cherry tomatoes, stemmed, halved

Preparation

Cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl.

Whisk lemon juice, 5 teaspoons marjoram, mustard, and lemon peel in small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Add remaining vinaigrette, cheese, onions, and olives to orzo; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand 2 hours to allow flavors to develop. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate salad and remaining vinaigrette separately.)

Toss tomatoes with reserved vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix tomatoes into orzo. Sprinkle orzo with remaining 1 teaspoon marjoram and serve.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Fingerling Potatoes

A few weeks ago when Seattle was just starting it’s 30 day streak of no rain, my husband and I decided to grill instead of heating up the whole apartment.  I knew we were both in the mood for chicken on the grill.  My next step was to consult one my dear friends, the Food Network website.  The most logical chef/tv show to consult was Bobby Flay of Boy Loves Grill.  Just the title of this recipe had me sold.

My favorite part of the meal was the vinaigrette.  It was so fresh and smooth.  I did choose to not roast my garlic but I don’t think it made a big difference.  I made one other change with the potatoes.  My husband and I went on a wild goose chase looking for fingerling potatoes and 3 different stores before finally settling for small red potatoes.  Why can you never find what you’re looking for at the grocery store when you need it?!  My husband said that the chicken tasted great even the next day when he had it for dinner at work.  I think that we might need to invest in a larger grill soon.  We have  small one on our patio but it definitely doesn’t hold a lot of food!

Enjoy!

source: Food Network: Boy Meets Grill

Ingredients

For the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette:

• 8 cloves roasted garlic
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:

• 12 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• 4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breasts
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Fresh oregano sprigs, for garnish

Fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish

For the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette:

Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chile flakes.

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife inserted comes out with some resistance. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well and when cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise.

Heat the grill to medium.

Brush the chicken and potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer. Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with oregano sprigs and parsley sprigs.

One Year Ago Today…

I started this blog one year ago today.  There were several reasons that I started it.  One was that I had been recently introduced to the world of food blogging by the lovely ladies on the Nest’s What’s Cooking board.   I loved looking at all the new and yummy recipes.  Another reason I started it was becuase I needed something to do over the summer.  I am currently a substitute teacher so as you can imagine there isn’t any work as a sub in the summer.  Thankfully I did teach summer school to fun group of 21 pre-Kindergarteners and pre-1st graders.  I had a blast with them and I’m excited to be teaching summer school again this summer.  Another reason that I started the blog was to have some where to chronicle all the recipes that I was trying and those that were my favorites. This blog inspired me to take risks, try new foods and set some food goals and resolutions.

I was trying to figure out a way to celebrate this milestone and first I decided to do a list of my top 10 favorite posts from the previous year.  That task was much more difficult than I had thought.  So I decided to do my top 3 favorite recipes from all most all the categories I have created for this blog.

Here goes!  I’ve included links to each recipe.  Enjoy!  I hope some of my favorites are also yours.

Appetizers:

Smokey Chipotle Hummus

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Spinach Dip

Beef

Beef Stir-Fry with Snap Peas

Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Cheddar Topped Shepard’s Pie

Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Soft Garlic Knots

Black and White Banana Loaf

Breakfast

Banana Cinnamon Waffles

Bacon and Egg Muffins

Buckwheat Crepes with Eggs, Ham and Cheese

Muffins

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Tropical Muffins

Cinnamon Crunch Muffins

Chicken

Chicken Stew with Dumplings

Peanut Crusted Chicken Breasts

Pineapple Stuffed Jerk Chicken

Chinese

Lighter General Tso’s Chicken

Chicken, Cashew and Red Pepper Stir Fry

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Cookies

Cowboy Cookies

Hello Dolly’s

Mini Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Desserts

Espresso Kahlua Brownies

Molten Lava Cakes

Banana Chiffon Cake

Fish

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Salmon Steaks with Hoisin

Panko Crusted Fish Sticks

Holiday

Spritz

Irish Soda Bread

Cranberry Ginger Jelly

Italian

Mini Meat Loaves

Fettuccine Alfredo

Easy Meatless Manicotti

Mexican

Mexican Lasagna

Guacamole

Chipotle Sloppy Joes

Pasta

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

Crock Pot Lasagna

Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Sage

Pork

Asian Style Pork Chops

Crispy Breaded Pork Chops

Spicy Apricot Glazed Pork

Side Dishes

Roasted Asparagus

Crash Hot Potatoes

Rice Pilaf with Pecans

Soup

Parker’s Split Pea Soup

Lentil Soup with Beef

Southwestern Corn Chowder

Turkey

Italian Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Florentine Turkey Meatloaf

Tex-Mex Turkey Burgers

Vegetables

Potato Cauliflower Gratin

Eggplant Parmesan

Zucchini Potato Pancakes

I hope you enjoyed reading some of my favorite recipes.  Happy cooking!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Or Happy Birthday to my husband and Happy Mother’s Day!  I realize this post is a bit late coming but there really isn’t any good excuse other than it got buried in all the other posts waiting.

I made this cake for my husband’s birthday but also for my Mom who was coming down to have dinner with my husband and I before she and Lance headed out for Mexico the next morning.   My husband loves anything that has peanut butter in it and when I showed him this cake I had to file it away for his birthday cake or another special event involving him.

This cake was delicious but oh so rich!  The chocolate cake was so nice and moist.  I think my favorite part of the whole cake was the yummy peanut butter frosting.  I had so much fun decorating this cake from frosting it to putting on the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on it.  I’m so glad that it wasn’t just my husband and I eating this cake for dessert that night because it would have taken us weeks to finish it.

This cake does take some time to create but it is so worth it!  Enjoy!

This fabulous recipe popped up in my Google Reader and I have found that I’m always oogling over things on Annie’s blog.  Go check out the yummy treats on Annie’s Eats.

Reese’s Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

source: Annies Eats blog

Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)

For decorating:
1 ½ – 2 batches peanut butter frosting
miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped

Directions:
For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Source: inspiration from Smells Like Home, cake from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, frosting from Ina Garten

Roasted Asparagus

A few weekends ago for Mother’s Day weekend we did a combination Mother’s Day dinner and a birthday dinner for my husband.  My mom and her boyfriend came down to our place for dinner.  They were on their way to the airport for their flight the next morning to Mexico for a week.  Must be rough huh!?  So the meal had to be things that both my mom and my husband would enjoy as well as her boyfriend.

I went to the Farmer’s Market the Saturday before my mom came down.  I thought that Asparagus would go well with the Baked Pasta I was making for dinner.  My husband’s friends had just told us about how much they loved roasted asparagus and how they will never boil it again after having it this way.

Amidst all my cooking, it was the busiest day ever, I assigned my husband the task of finding a recipe for roasted asparagus.  He hit the jackpot with this one!  He even prepared this recipe because I was frosting his birthday cake (recipe coming soon).

I strongly suggest you try this recipe, even if you say you don’t like asparagus, you might surprise yourself!  Enjoy!

source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly grated black pepper
• Lemon juice

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse clean the asparagus. Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard.

2 Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. (Alternatively you can put the asparagus and oil in a plastic bag, and rub the bag so that the oil gets evenly distributed.) Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly distributed.

3 Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving.

Serves 4.

Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

I think I go through phases of foods that I become obsessed with for while.  For some reason any time I see an Asian inspired recipe in a magazine I am compelled to make  it!  I love how easy stir-fry is to toss together.   My husband and I got married almost 3 years ago and we received a wok as a shower gift.  Sadly the poor thing is still in it’s box in the closet that we have dubbed my teaching closet and the wedding gifts that we have no room for yet closet!  So look for more stir-fry recipe when that walk gets a new home in the kitchen when we move into a larger house/apartment this summer!

I suggest you try this when you’re in the mood for a light but great meal! I love what the cashews add to this recipe.

Enjoy!

source:  Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 3 3/4  teaspoons  cornstarch, divided
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2  teaspoons  dry sherry
• 1  teaspoon  rice wine vinegar
• 3/4  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1  pound  chicken breast tenders, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 1/2  cup  coarsely chopped unsalted cashews
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil
• 2  cups  julienne-cut red bell pepper (about 1 large)
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3  tablespoons  thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through hot pepper sauce) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Combine remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cashews to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from pan.

4. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a bowl. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Sprinkle with cashews and green onions.

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Last week I was in the mood to bake and muffins were the first thought that came to mind.  I love how simple muffins are to put together and then they just go into the oven.  I love them!  I was also inspired by the blueberries that I spied in my freezer.

I consulted my mini library of cookbooks for a recipe that I liked but finally decided to head to my other trusted friend, Cooking Light.  I loved how moist and fluffy these muffins were.  I was amazed at the amount of power behind the tablespoon of lemon zest.   I didn’t think that it would be enough but it was wonderful.  I froze half of these and my husband and I ate the rest as dessert or breakfast for a few days.

I strongly suggest you make these.  I think these would be great for a brunch.  Enjoy!

‘Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1/4  cup  butter
• 1 1/4  cups  low-fat buttermilk
• 1  large egg
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon rind
• 1  cup  blueberries
• Cooking spray
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  cup  powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk, egg, and rind; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled muffins.

Note: You can make these muffins up to 2 days ahead and glaze them the morning of the brunch.

Cinnamon Oat Pancakes

These were delicious and very filling.  My husband and I thought they would be great on a day when you’re going to be doing a lot of work out in the yard or another busy outside activity.  These definitely stick to your ribs.

I’m always on the look out for new breakfast food recipes and these fit the bill.  The recipe came from Everyday Food and it even tells you how to freeze them, which I did and I’ve already enjoyed some of the leftovers from the freezer.  We loved the nutty smell and taste that the oatmeal adds to the pancakes.  They also reminded us of some blue corn pancakes that we had a few years ago from a mix that we got from my husband’s brother for a gift.

I strongly suggest you make these before your next camping trip or outdoor project.

Enjoy!

source: Everyday Food

Ingredients

Makes 20

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for skillet

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and 1 cup oats and pulse a few times to coarsely grind oats. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and oil. Add dry ingredients and 1 cup oats and whisk just until moistened.
2. Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Lightly oil skillet. Using 2 to 3 tablespoons for each pancake, drop batter in skillet and cook until a few bubbles have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until browned on undersides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with more oil and batter.

Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers

Oh my goodness!  I have just found a new favorite recipe for ground turkey!  I’m so glad I tried this recipe.  When this popped up in my Google Reader I had to try it soon.  This recipe came from Cara’s Cravings.  I strongly suggest you head over there and check out her yummy treats!  My local grocery store has had several sales on ground turkey.  I just can’t resist the buy one get one free sale, especially when it comes to meat!  Needless to say, there are a few pounds of ground turkey waiting in my freezer again! I loved the taste of the peanut butter and the chili garlic sauce.  The shredded carrots added a nice touch and flavor.

My husband and I enjoy Thai food so I knew this recipe would be right up our alley.  I made these burgers a few weekends ago when we had company for the weekend.  They enjoyed them too.  These burgers worked well in my fabulous grill pan.  As you can tell from the pictures I served them with sweet potato fries from Trader Joe’s.  I should have bought 2 packages, we loved them so much!

Enjoy!

Source:  Cara’s Cravings

Serves 2

Ingredients
8oz ground turkey
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 large scallion, minced
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp light mayonnaise
handful of cilantro, finely minced
1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce

hamburger buns of your choice
mixed greens

Combine burger ingredients a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Form the turkey mixture into two patties. Cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve on buns with cilantro-chili mayo and greens.

Butterscotch Bars

I’m always on the look out for new cookie or bar recipes so when I saw this lightened up recipe in Cooking Light I knew I would be trying it soon.   I love butterscotch pudding  but not candy.  Something about the taste of butterscotch is comforting to me.  I remember my mom serving it still warm from the pan.  Yummy!

These bars did take some time to put together because you make a crust and you also have to melt the butterscotch chips and condensed milk.  These bars are delicious but I recommend that you have a napkin and  glass of milk near by too.  My husbands’ coworkers were lucky enough to be the recipients of half of the pan of Butterscotch Bars.

Enjoy!

source:  Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1  cup  packed brown sugar
• 5  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 9  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
• 2 1/2  cups  quick-cooking oats
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• Cooking spray
• 3/4  cup  fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/4  cups  butterscotch morsels (about 8 ounces)
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and egg. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Add oat mixture to sugar mixture; stir with a fork until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Place 3 cups oat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; press into bottom of pan. Set aside.

3. Place sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch morsels, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until butterscotch morsels melt, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in walnuts. Scrape mixture into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Sprinkle evenly with remaining oat mixture, gently pressing into butterscotch mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Place pan on a cooling rack; run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely.