Cheesy Broccoli Orzo

 

I was planning to make the Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken tonight -- I wanted something quick and easy since I wasn't really in the mood to cook, but knew we shouldn't do take out.  Mother Hubbard's cupboard was pretty bare for a side -- no rice and no potatoes.  I went over to Pinterest and one of my friends had pinned this recipe, and thankfully, I actually had all of the ingredients.  It gave me the starchy side I was craving, but also added broccoli, which I love.  I'm going to have to make it again this week for Catherine because she is going to LOVE IT!

• 1 cup orzo 
• 1½ cups chopped broccoli florets
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. butter 
• ¼ - ½ cup milk 
• Salt
• Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Add orzo to a large pot of salted boiling water.
2. Cook for 5 minutes then add chopped broccoli and cook for 4 more minutes, or until orzo is tender.
3. Drain well (broccoli florets are notorious for holding onto water) then return to the pot.
4. Add cheeses, butter, and ¼ cup milk then stir well; add more milk if needed.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yields 3-4 Servings


Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats blog 

Indonesian Peanut Chicken

Another night, another decision -- what to make for dinner?  Seems like my friends were in the same boat, as they, too, needed some inspiration.  The call went out "What's for dinner?"  One friend post the link to our friend Martha's blog (hey, we haven't heard Martha's name on here in a while!) -- Indonesian Peanut Chicken.  I looked over the ingredients and saw I had everything on the list!  Viola -- DINNER!  I thought it would be similar to the PF Changs Lettuce Wraps, minus the lettuce; although there are similar ingredients, this is very different, but EXTREMELY fantastically delicious!  I served it over jasmine rice with peas, corn and sautéed onions.  Very satisfying meal!

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• ½ cup peanut butter
  (I used chunky peanut butter) 
• 1/3 cup chili garlic sauce 
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper 
• 1 cup water 
• ¼ cup chopped peanuts (optional)
  (I didn't use it because I ended up using chunky peanut butter) 
• ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. 
2. Sauté chicken for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides. 
3. Cook over medium hat for about 10-15 minutes, or until juice is no longer pink when center of thickest piece is cut. 
4. Remove chicken from skillet. 
5. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of drippings from skillet. 
6. Cook onion in drippings over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. 
7. Reduce heat and add peanut butter, chili sauce, and cayenne. 
8. Gradually stir in water, stirring constantly, until peanut butter is melted. 
9. Add chicken back to skillet and spoon sauce over chicken. 
10. Heat to boiling, and then reduce heat, simmering uncovered about five minutes, spooning sauce frequently over chicken, until sauce is slightly thickened. 
11. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and red bell pepper.

Adapted from Martha's Throwing Spoons blog

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

It's St. Patrick's Day on the Circle!  What better way to celebrate than to make a dessert with "a little" Bailey's Irish Cream (ok, maybe not so little).  When looking for "an Irish dessert" on Pinterest, I found tons of chocolate based desserts, but I was really trying to find something sans chocolate so our friend Rich could partake (he's sadly allergic to anything of chocolatey goodness).  I asked Charlotte if he liked Bailey's and she said HECK YA.  I came across this recipe.  They smell phenomenal while baking and were pretty good.  I will say the cake batter was a little heavier than I thought it would be, but now that I think of it, with this much Bailey's in it, I doubt it would be a fluffy cake, you know what I mean?  All-in-all, I'd give them a bottoms up :-D

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare cupcake pans with liners – approximately for 24-30 cupcakes.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a stand mixer.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the liqueur, water and milk. Mix well.
5. In a third bowl, thoroughly combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the liqueur mixture. Beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.
7. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for about 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.
   (The tops also crack a little- that’s fine.)
8. Frost with Bailey’s Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting

Bailey’s Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting

• 2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 6 Tbsp. (more or less, to preference) Bailey’s Irish Cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Cream the butter on high speed for approximately 3 minutes.
2. Add the Bailey’s Irish Cream and mix thoroughly.
3. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well blended.
4. If necessary, add more Bailey’s to thin or more sugar to thicken it to desired texture.

Adapted from Cupcake Rehab blog

Pepperoni and Cheese Pretzel Bites

Another weekend, another party on the Circle.  I took to Pinterest again for inspiration to come up with what I would bring.  Since the pretzels have gone over so well in the past, I saw this recipe for stuffed pretzel bites.  Thankfully, LaDawna came over to help me out.  This is a fabulously delicious recipe but is pretty labor intensive and definitely could use at least two sets of hands.  The original recipe called for ham, but I decided to use pepperoni slices instead.  Really, I think you could mix this recipe up and do any number of variations -- buffalo chicken with cheddar was another idea that came to mind.  Either way, if you have the time, this is definitely worth it.  And if you are making this for a party, I suggest doubling this recipe, like I did for this one.

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees F)
• 1 package (¼ oz.) dry yeast
• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 package of pepperoni slices (may not use all)
• Water for boiling
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 1-2 eggs, whisked
• Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a stand-mixer fitted with the hook paddle, combine together in a mixing bowl the brown sugar, warm milk and yeast, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
2.  Add flour and mix for about 2 minutes until well combined.  Add an additional ½ cup of flour, as needed. 
3. Gently knead into a smooth ball and place into a greased container.  Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for 1-2 hours. 
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. 
5. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll each piece of dough into roughly a 12x4-inch rectangle. 
6. With the long sides facing you, sprinkle an even amount of mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices onto the bottom half of each piece of dough. 
7. Roll the dough as tightly as you can, starting with the long edge holding the cheese and pepperoni. 
8. Cut each roll into 12 equal pieces. 
9. Transfer the pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let them rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
10. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 
11. Bring a pot full of water to a boil, along with 1/3 cup of baking soda, and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. 
12. Boil the pretzel bites in batches, cooking for about 20 seconds each and turning once.
    (Be forewarned that you may lose some of the cheese and pieces of pepperoni in the process.  They should look slightly puffed when they are done.) 
13. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheet. 
14. Whisk together the eggs combined with a small amount of water, to create an egg wash. 
15. Brush tops of each pretzel bite with the egg wash and sprinkle kosher salt conservatively over entire baking sheet. 
16. Bake in the preheated oven until they are puffed and golden, about 15-18 minutes. 
17. Serve warm – enjoy!

Adapted from P&E Yummilicious blog

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Another night, another dinner.  What to make, what to make?  And what to make when there isn't much in the cupboard?  My fingers went scrolling around Pinterest, and I came across this recipe.  Super easy, and it only needed a total of 4 ingredients.  SOLD!  Even better was the fact that it was something a little different, with a really nice flavor.  Definitely blog-worthy, especially when you need a quick meal, with very little effort and being short on ingredients.

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 4 Tbsp. brown sugar 
• 3 tsp. olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 475°F and lightly grease a casserole dish. 
2. In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. 
4. Place chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture. 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Bake uncovered for 15-25 minutes.

Adapted from Pia Recipes blog

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

All week, the weather forecast was calling for a big snow storm.  The first projections were calling for at least a foot, but as it got closer, they decreased to 4-8".  That still didn't bode well for a party I was supposed to go to on Saturday, and we decided to reschedule it.  Meanwhile, our neighbors were due back from a Florida vacation, just before the snow storm was to start.  What better way for them to come home then to have another Snow Storm Potluck Party in the neighborhood?

I ended up making Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese as an entrée to bring.  I wanted to also bring a dessert, but I wanted it to be something that didn't call for chocolate, since Rich is allergic, and I always seem to bring something that he can't have.  My mission took me to my Pinterest boards and I found a recipe I had pinned for Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes.  They seem like they would be complicated to make, but they were quite easy... and so well worth it!  What a scrumptious dessert!  The only downside, is that they only made 12!  I highly recommend doubling the recipe for a party!

Oh, by the way, I'm not even sure if we got 2" of snow.

Batter:

• 6 Tbsp. butter
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Topping:

• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 12 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 6 maraschino cherries
• 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple rings

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350º.
2. Place the butter and milk for the batter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl to cool.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the pine-apple topping:  Into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of unmelted butter, then evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over the bottom. Place the pan in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes.
4. Halve each maraschino cherry, placing each cherry half, sliced side up, in the center of each cup.
5. Next, cut the pineapple rings into quarters (or even eighths).  Lay four pieces of pineapple, surrounding the cherry.
6. Press the fruit gently down into the butter-sugar mixture, and set the prepared pan aside.
7. Finish making the batter:  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
8. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mixing until fully incorporated.
9. Add the milk-butter mixture and stir well to combine the ingredients into a smooth batter.
10. Using a large scoop, pour the batter into the muffin pan, dividing it evenly among all the cups.
    (I actually had a little leftover batter, and probably could have made another 2 or 3 cupcakes)
11. Bake the cupcakes until they’re lightly browned, dry around the edges, and pulling away from the pan a little, about 20-25 minutes.
12. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes.
13. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen each cupcake from the edges.
14. Place a cookie sheet over the top of the muffin pan and invert the pan, turning the cupcakes out onto the cookie sheet.
15. Transfer the cupcakes back to the rack to cool completely.
16. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Adapted from Chef in Training blog

Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf

Blizzard Nemo 2013 -- the day after.  After spending all of yesterday plowing out, Jimmy spent today raking all of the snow off the roof to avoid our annual ice dam issues.  We need comfort food -- diets be damned.  A couple of weeks ago, Catherine had sent me a FB PM and all it said was STOVE TOP MEATLOAF.  Ever since then, it was picking at the back of my brain.  While she was at dance today, I went to BJ's and saw "meatloaf meat" -- a mix of ground beef, pork and veal.  I had always wanted to try it, and knew today was the day.  I went on Pinterest and found the recipe Catherine had found.  Talk about super easy!  I made a few modifications, adding eggs (since I've never heard of a meatloaf that didn't have it as a binder) and substituting ketchup and worcestershire sauce for the steak sauce; but other than that, DOOOOOOOOOOOOOLISH!

• 2.5 lbs. meatloaf meat
• 8 oz. stove top
• 2/3 cup hot water
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup worcestershire sauce
• 2 eggs
• BBQ sauce -- enough to brush over top of meatloaf
  (I used Wegman's Brown Sugar BBQ)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together all ingredients, EXCEPT the BBQ sauce
3. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.
   (I used 4 mini loaf pans)
4. Brush top of each loaf with BBQ sauce and bake, uncovered, for 45 min to an hour
   (Internal temperature of the meatloaf should be 170 degrees)

Adapted from The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife blog