Athenian Orzo

I am always amazed by the pace that picks up in September. I love the return to school and getting to know my new class. This month we ate many repeat meals in an effort to keep cooking during the busy start to school. I forgot we made this recipe at the start of summer until I was looking through recipes to revisit. This is another simple, tasty, and fairly healthy dinner. I found this recipe on Gourmet: Day to Day. 

You will need:
*1 1/2 teaspoons EVOO
*1 small onion, chopped

*4 cloves garlic, minced
*
1/4 cup dry white wine

*2 large tomatoes, chopped (or canned diced will work if fresh aren't an option)
*
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
*
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
*
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

*Freshly ground pepper, to taste

*Pinch of crushed red pepper

*1 pound medium shrimp,  peeled and deveined
*
1 cup orzo
*
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.


2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened (about 3 minutes). Add wine and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; cook for 5 minutes. Drop in shrimp and cook, until barely pink, about 3 minutes.


3. Cook orzo in the boiling water until tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Toss with the tomato-shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with feta and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley.
 Bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

I cannot remember the last time we ordered a delivery pizza for dinner. Working at an Italian restaurant that makes great pizza, I do eat my fair share of it at work. But when it comes to having pizza at home, we prefer to make it ourselves. I have yet to try making my own pizza dough. That is something I really hope to try soon. Any simple recipe suggestions?

This asparagus pizza recipe was found on Pennies on a Platter. I love anything with Boursin cheese and this pizza is no exception.

You will need:
*pizza dough
*olive oil
*garlic salt
*8 ounces asparagus spears, woody stems removed
*1 cup shredded mozzarella
*3 ounces Boursin garlic herb, or other garlic herb cheese
*ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Shave the asparagus spears into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler, reserving the tips as well and set aside.

2. Stretch the dough and place on pizza stone. Lightly spritz the dough with olive oil, making sure the outer crust is coated. Sprinkle with garlic salt.

3. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pizza dough in an even layer.  Pile the shaved asparagus on top of the mozzarella. Dot the surface of the pizza with the garlic herb spread, then season with pepper.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the mozzarella cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before slicing.

Black Bean Tacos

I love taco night. Dave and I have made tacos together since the early dating days. And trust me, that was longer ago than I care to admit. I thought I'd found the best vegetarian taco out there when I made Roasted Chickpea Tacos for the first time last year. Those are still my favorite go-to taco recipe, and I have enjoyed them numerous times for lunch and dinner. Dave would always eat them without groaning, but he was never as impressed as I was/am. This black bean version was one we both loved. I found this recipe posted on Endless Simmer through Pinterest. These tacos are so simple, yet flavorful. We topped ours with some avocado and Greek yogurt. I highly recommend you try this recipe sometime soon. This would be a perfect weeknight dinner for the start of the school year.

You will need:
*2 cups canned or cooked black beans
*1/2 cup. red onion, minced

*1 teaspoon cumin
*
1 teaspoon paprika
*
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

*4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated

*2 tablespoons olive oil
, plus additional oil for cooking

*pinch of salt and pepper
*8 corn tortillas

*optional toppings: avocado, hot sauce, 
salsa
, sour cream or Greek yogurt


1. Preheat oven to 250 and place a foil-lined baking sheet on the center rack.

2. In a medium bowl, combine black beans with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly stir all ingredients together. No worries if you mash the beans a bit.

3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add one corn tortilla at a time and let sit for a few seconds to heat. Then add about 1/4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Use a spatula to carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press the spatula down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape. Cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the taco to cook the other side. Use a spatula to help you flip the taco toward to fold to keep the filling in place.

4. You can add more tortillas as the tacos cook.  Depending on your skillet, you should be able to cook about 3 at a time. Once a taco is finished, place it on the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.

5. Enjoy with whichever toppings you'd like.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Prevention RD is a fabulous blog and one of my favorite recipe sources. Nicole always posts the nutritional info and a result for each recipe. As soon as she posted this dish it went on my weekly menu. Believe or not, we had not had a pasta dish in a long time. I'm sure pasta will make more of an appearance when the weather gets colder again. The overabundance of zucchini right now is a perfect reason for you to make this quick dinner soon. If anyone has a lot of produce from their successful garden, feel free to send it my way! Maybe next year I'll attempt growing food. Right now we're still focusing on grass.

You will need:
*10 ounces dry whole wheat pasta- I used rotini
*15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

*5 ounces goat cheese

*12 ounce jar roasted red pepper, drained
*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

*2 small-medium sized zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
*
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil water in a pot and salt lightly; add pasta and cook according to the box directions (Usually around 9-11 minutes) Drain and set aside.

2. While your pasta is cooking, combine tomatoes, goat cheese, and peppers in a food processor and pulse until smooth. (You could use a blender if you do not own a food processor)

3. Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add the zucchini along with some salt and pepper and saute about 3 minutes until the zucchini begins to soften. Add the goat cheese sauce mixture and simmer for about 7 minutes or until heated through.

4. Combine the pasta and sauce. Serve immediately.

Biscoff Frozen Yogurt

As soon as I saw this ice cream recipe posted on Katie's Cucina I wanted it. Immediately. (I'm not always the most patient person in the world) I am also someone that really shouldn't eat ice cream. I love it, but it does not love me. I can have cheese, skim milk, and yogurt, but cream makes my stomach hurt. Usually every year as soon as the weather is warm, I drag Dave out for ice cream. I immediately regret not getting frozen yogurt and spend the whole night whining about the pain I am in. Luckily, once or twice a season is all it takes to remind me that avoiding ice cream is worth it.

I also needed a recent reason to use the jar of Biscoff spread aside from just dipping a spoon in it daily. These wants and needs led to making this Greek frozen yogurt adaptation of Katie's recipe. I've successfully used the Purple Cow recipe amounts to make a number of yogurt bases. This is one of my absolute favorites. The Greek yogurt tang is still slightly there but is well balanced by how sweet the Biscoff tastes. I don't think this is going to last long in our freezer!

You will need:
*1 cup Biscoff Spread + 2 tablespoons
*3 cups plain Greek yogurt (2%) nonfat does not work for frozen yogurt....it would for popsicles though!
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*3/4 cup sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar and yogurt until smooth. Add one cup of Biscoff spread and continue to mix until creamy. Stir in the vanilla. Cover the mixture and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

2. Stir the chilled yogurt mixture and then pour/spoon it into your ice cream maker. Churn for about 20-30 minutes depending on your ice cream maker. (I did 20 minutes in my Kitchen Aid attachment)

3. Stir in the additional 2 tablespoons of Biscoff. Place in an airtight freezable container. Freeze for a couple hours before serving; Freeze up to one week.

Note: Frozen yogurt often freezes more solid than ice cream. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before serving. If you scoop earlier, the frozen yogurt chips off more like ice.

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

We've been in our house for two years now, but I still get giddy every time I use our grill. Growing up, summer dinners were almost always grilled. I think a few years of third floor apartment living made me realize just how fortunate it is to have outdoor space to cook. Poor Dave will sometimes try and man the grill, but I often politely push him out of the way and take charge. In my opinion, almost any vegetable tastes better when it is chopped and grilled on a stick. I always prefer to do my vegetable and meat kabobs separately so that I can cook them properly. This simple chicken marinade provides a great flavor. You can marinate the meat in the morning and then grill it quickly after work. Or, if you are like me, you will probably forget to do that and give it only about 1-2 hours of time to marinate. Don't worry if that happens to you, it will still be tasty! This great grilling recipe was discovered on Annie's Eats. I altered it to include a bit less oil and to be made on a gas grill.

You will need:

*1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
*zest of 1 lemon
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tablespoon fresh parsley (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces (about 3/4 inch-1 inch)
*skewers (if wooden, soak in water for 20 minutes or more before grilling)


1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.  Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to coat with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

2. Lightly oil the grill grates. Preheat the grill burners to the medium settings. 

3. While the grill is heating, place the chicken pieces onto skewers, discarding the extra marinade.  Place the kabobs on the grill, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked throughout. This will probably take about about 10-12 minutes. Rotate the skewers at least once during cooking.  Serve immediately.

These skewers can be served as a salad topping, a main dish with vegetables, or over a rice dish. In the photo above, I made a simple dinner of chicken and veggies. I used green and red peppers, mushrooms, and vidalia onions on my vegetable skewer.

Strawberry Caprese Salad

I clearly forgot to take a picture of this salad before we began eating it on Father's Day. This is a light recipe that works well as an appetizer or side. I served it without the balsamic topping, but I imagine it will be even better next time when I remember to put it on! With this season's fresh strawberries and tomatoes, this is a must try recipe for an upcoming barbeque. It was easy to double this recipe, and I made an extra small batch for lunch one day with some leftovers. This is a recipe from Pink Parsley.

You will need:
*1 cup halved grape tomatoes
*1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
*pinch of sugar
*1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 tablespoon honey
*squeeze of fresh lemon juice
*1 cup hulled and quartered strawberries
*1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella
*4-5 basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

1. Gently mix the tomatoes with the salt and sugar in a colander; let the tomato mixture sit and drain for 10-15 minutes to remove excess water.

2. Meanwhile, bring the vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan.  Cook until it is thick and syrupy, about 5-10 minutes, when only a few tablespoons remain.  Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl to cool.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt. Add the tomatoes, strawberries, mozzarella, and basil to the bowl and mix.  '

4. Before serving, drizzle with some of the balsamic vinegar. (A little goes a long way!)

Addictive Fruit Dip

This is like frosting in a bowl. I was caught a few times just using fruit as a spoon to get this deliciousness into my mouth. I like to think that this is healthy because of the use of yogurt. This dip was popular at our Father's Day cookout and the 4th of July party. I think I have another go to summer appetizer! This truly pairs well with almost anything. I found this recipe at Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life.

You will need:
*1 (8oz.) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
*3/4 cup packed brown sugar
*1/4 tsp vanilla extract
*6 oz non-fat Greek yogurt
*1 cup cold skim milk
*1 package sugar-Free instant vanilla pudding mix
*items for dipping: watermelon, cantaloupe, graham crackers, strawberries

1. Use a mixer to beat the cream cheese smooth, then add the brown sugar. Add the milk, yogurt, and pudding mix; mix until well combined. Stir in vanilla.

2. Chill at least two hours before serving.

Greek Yogurt Chicken

As soon as Stephanie Cooks posted this recipe, I added it to my weekly menu. Loving Greek yogurt in just about anything, I knew it would be a dinner we'd enjoy. I was surprised by how much we loved it. We haven't had too much chicken lately because I tend to get sick of it. I can remember coming home from college each semester and asking my parents for anything but chicken. College was more years ago than I care to admit, but I still have a love/hate relationship with chicken dishes. That said, this meal now has me wanting chicken again! This is a simple weeknight dinner that I recommend you try as soon as possible.We paired it with some roasted zucchini topped with panko and parmesan.

You will need:
*2 thin chicken breasts (I butterflied large ones and made 4 chicken pieces)
*1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt-I prefer Chobani
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*3/4 tsp seasoned salt, we use Lawry's
*1/4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cheese, and seasonings. Stir together well.

3. Spray or oil a baking dish. Place the raw chicken in the dish and top with the yogurt mixture. You can use the back of a spoon to help spread the sauce even over the chicken pieces.

4. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. We chose not to broil this, but you can broil it under close watch to have it become a bit brown and crispy.

Chana Masala

Dave loves Indian food. While I can't take the heat like he can, I do enjoy many of the spices that easily combine into wonderful dinners. We usually go out to eat our Indian fix or we rely on Trader Joe's frozen entrees. There aren't many frozen dinners I enjoy, but I highly recommend the Trader Joe's Indian cuisine collection. They are the perfect option for a busy night. With that said, I am trying to get better about cooking some Indian inspired dishes. I found this recipe on Bakin and Eggs and knew it would be a great combination. I love chickpeas and finding more meatless meal options, and Dave would get his Indian spices. We both really liked the way this turned out. Although my wimpy tongue did need a tall glass of water near by!

 You will need:
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*
1 medium onion, diced
*
1 clove garlic, minced

*2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

*1 tablespoon ground coriander

*2 teaspoons ground cumin

*1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
*
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

*2 teaspoons paprika

*1 teaspoon garam masala

*1 15oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain!)
*
2/3 cup water

*2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1/2 lemon, juiced
*cooked rice and naan for serving, optional

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and ginger, cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

2. Switch the burner to medium-low heat. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika, and garam masala to the onion mixture. Cook for about 1-2 minutes; then add the tomatoes. Next, add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.


3. Serve over rice and/or naan if desired.