Category Archives: What’s for Dinner?

Orzo with Mushrooms & Steamed Broccoli

Posted on by
Reply

I was looking for something totally easy yet yummy for dinner tonight so I decided to make orzo with mushrooms and steamed broccoli.  I found a recipe on AllRecipes.com but I modified it to suit my own family.  Also, instead of making this a side dish, we made enough to eat as a meal.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 cups of uncooked orzo pasta
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 cup of chicken broth (you can use white wine as well – I just didn’t have any)
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 package of sliced white mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup of butter
  • 2-3 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Add the butter to a skillet, on medium high, and add the mushrooms and uncooked orzo.  Once the mushrooms get a little soft, add the water and the chicken broth.  Let it come to a boil and them reduce to simmering.  Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and add the garlic, putting it through your garlic press.  Cook for 7-10 minutes until al dente or cook it to how you enjoy your pasta.

While it’s cooking, get some frozen (or fresh) broccoli and add it to a pot with a bit of water and a steamer.  Let the broccoli steam while the orzo finishes cooking.  They take more or less the same amount of time to cook.

You’ll know that the orzo is ready when most of the water has been absorbed.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cover to allow the remaining water to absorb.  Turn your heat off, get your broccoli into a separate bowl and allow people to grab some orzo and add as much, or as little, broccoli as they want!

Enjoy.

Easy Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Posted on by
1

Super simple to make!

I used 1 pork tenderloin cut in half (cut the other one in half too but froze for later). It’s just the two of us so I portion out all of our meat.

You will need Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or, you can do like I do and buy the whole wheat bread crumbs and season them myself with Garlic Plus and Italian seasoning. It is 2 cups of bread crumbs for TWO pieces so I just use 1 cup.

You will also need olive oil. I use extra virgin.

Defrost your pork (or cook after purchasing it). Then, in a bowl, add your bread crumbs. In a shallow bowl, add some olive oil. Use less to start and add as needed.

Preheat oven to 425.

Take your pork, roll it around in the olive oil and then in the bread crumbs, coating it well. Make sure there is no pink and try to get a nice, thick coating on the meat – about 1/3 of an inch thick.

Bake meat on a shallow cookie sheet for about 35 minutes making sure that there is no pink left when the pork is cut.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting it into medallions. (Slice into evenly cut pieces.)

Enjoy!

Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

Posted on by
Reply

I made some yummy pasta tonight and it ended up being a HUGE hit with the entire fam…  It’s a MUST make if you love pasta and chicken.

You’ll need:

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • olive oil
  • 1 package of sliced mushrooms
  • dried parsley
  • 1 box of penne pasta
  • 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 2 teaspoons of onion garlic soup mix
  • 1 tablespoon of Worchestershire sauce

Here’s how you make it:

  1. In a skillet, add a bit of olive oil and add the chicken breasts.  If they are already thoroughly thawed, go ahead and cut them up into slices but otherwise, cook them first and slice them later on.  Cook them until they are browned on the outside and there is no pink left on the inside.
  2. In a separate skillet, add a bit of olive oil (1 tbsp) and the mushrooms and fry them until they are golden brown and slightly soft.  Add the cream of chicken soup, Worchestershire sauce, onion soup mix, parsley and milk.  Stir until the sauce is creamy and lump free.  Leave simmering, with a lid on, over medium.
  3. Take your cooked chicken and slice it, if you haven’t done so before cooking, and add it to the sauce pan.  Stir so all of the chicken pieces are coated.
  4. In a pot of water (use cooking directions on pasta box), cook your pasta until el dente (or softer if you prefer), drain and return to pot.
  5. Add the sauce / mushroom / chicken mixture to your pot of now-drained pasta and stir well.  You can serve it right out of the pot or add to a serving dish and garnish with fresh parsley.

It’s SUPER yummy and a VERY flexible recipe so you can do what you want with it too!

Enjoy.

xo