Herb and lemon Orzo

This wonderful side dish paired perfectly with my Greek meatballs. If you are not quite familiar with Orzo it is a rice shaped pasta that lends itself really well to salads and soups.

Greek meatballs with herb and lemon orzo

At the end of last week a regular cool spring weeknight turned into Greek night at our house. I love Greek food! I have been hooked since my first trip to Rhodes in my early teens (in the 80s). We ate Souvlaki (Kebobs) and Gyros every day for two weeks. I could eat Tzatziki sauce on just about anything. And Feta cheese - don't get me started! So when I found this recipe in Americas Test kitchen's 30-minute suppers (spring 2011), I immediately cried out: "I am making that!"

Noodle cake with scallions

Instead of the usual rice that I normally make with stir-fries I loved the idea of this Noodle cake. I actually saw something like this on a cooking show years ago, and always wanted to try it. It was perfect with the peanut-chicken stir-fry. It is a lot easier than I thought too. And even though I am not a fan of using a non-stick pan, this is one instance where one is very useful since the noodle cake has to be turned and browned on both sides. I made 2 of these to feed the six of us.

Noodle cake with scallions

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 (9 ounce) package fresh Chinese noodles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 scallions, sliced thin

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot

Add salt and noodles and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes

Drain and toss with scallions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add noodles to skillet and press with spatula into an even layer. Cook until crisp, 3-5 minutes.

Place back of a baking sheet over the skillet and invert noodle cake onto sheet. Add a little more oil to skillet and slide noodle cake back in. Cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Place noodle cake on a serving platter. Tent with foil until ready to serve.

Recipe from  America's Test Kitchen, 30-minute Suppers, Spring 2011

Peanut-chicken stir -fry

I am always looking for something new and different and this recipe from the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated fits the bill. My kids really liked this meal, a peanut chicken stir-fry served over fried noodles. My son told me over and over again how good it was. Even my two younger ones ate more than usual. They were a little suspicious of the noodle cake, but loved the stir fry.

Fresh and crunchy celery, apple and pecan salad with lemon Walnut dressing

Today I made the effort to make myself this beautiful lunch. It just made me feel so good to eat something this fresh and healthy. The ham and egg wrap is very basic, just deli fresh ham and scrambled eggs with cilantro (Coriander) and diced tomatoes rolled up in your favorite wrap. It is delicious! The highlight, however, was this celery, apple and pecan salad. It is super crunchy and the dressing is very light and perfectly sweetened. I ate in peace and quiet before picking up my daughter from preschool. I savored every bite. It was a lovely little me-time. So take some time, just for you, and enjoy!

Note! I am giving you the full size salad recipe enough for 4-6 people, but make only as much as you need. I saved the leftover dressing in my fridge for another salad. If you can't find Walnut oil, use regular olive oil.

Celery, Apple and Pecan salad

with lemon walnut dressing

8 stalks of celery, leaves removed

1 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped

1 cup thinly sliced, chopped or diced Granny Smith apple

Shavings of fresh Parmesan or Manchego

Dressing:

1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

2 tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons walnut oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon honey

Cut 3-inch long pieces of celery into thinly julienned strips or whatever shape you prefer. In a mixing bowl, combine the salad ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, then toss with the salad. Sprinkle with cheese shavings.

Recipe adapted from Experience Life magazine, April 2011

Ina Garten's buttermilk cheddar biscuits

Ina Garten's cookbooks are my latest favorites. They are visually very beautiful and the recipes are very simple and so far have turned out really good. These buttermilk biscuits looked so great I just had to try them! These are actually the first biscuits I have ever made and I loved them! They turned out nice and flaky and very moist. No butter needed! I will definitely make these again. They were great with the White bean soup.

Buttermilk cheddar biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and handling dough

1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

12 T (1 1/2 stick /170 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken

1 cold extra-large egg

1 cup grated extra-sharp white Cheddar (any cheddar will work)

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place 2 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small glass measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the cheddar with a small handful of flour, and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Empty out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about six times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 5x10 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut th dough lenghtwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchement paper. Brush the top with the egg wash, sprinkle with additional cheese and sea salt. and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are browned and the bicuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa, Back to basics.

Chicken and White Bean Soup

Soup season is not winding down here. Just before the weekend we had a typical spring blizzard here in Minnesota. Much of the snow that had melted has now been replenished. If this was in the beginning of December I would have thought it was beautiful, and cozy to stay inside, but at this point it was just depressing. I want spring! On the positive side it was the perfect weather for soup, and the Chicken and White Bean Soup featured in the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine looked very delicious and was the perfect comfort food while we wait for warmer days. I made a recipe and a half to accomodate for my family of six. That made for a slightly thicker soup and it was lighter in color than the picture in the magazine. But it was still a delicious soup that we all enjoyed, especially my husband who loves the darker meat of the chicken. I served Buttermilk cheddar biscuits along side (recipe to come).

Chicken and White Bean soup

2 smoked bacon slices, chopped
12 ounzes skinless, boneless chicken thighs,

trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup chopped plum tomato

2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups water

2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoonchopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook bacon in a large sauce pan over medium heat until crisp (8-10 minutes).Remove from pan, reserving drippings in pan; set bacon aside.
Add chicken to drippings in pan; saute 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomato, oregano and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return bacon and chicken to pan. Stir in 2 cups water and broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Add orzo, and cook for 9 minutes or until al dente. Add beans; cook 2 minutes or until heated. Remove from heeat, stir in parsley, vinegar and salt.

Serves 4

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, April 2011