Spicy Peanut Chicken Over Rice

This recipe has been sitting around for us to try since the August 2008 issue of Cooking Light.  I’m glad I never threw it away as I periodically thin out all the recipes I save.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Over Rice was warm, tasty and easy to make which was perfect for tonight.  I just wish I had read the reviews beforehand so I could have made a few modifications.

While this was delicious, I believe it would be even better with more peanut butter, at least another tablespoon or two.  I’d also add a bit less broth so it was thicker.

This is a really big recipe too so halving it would be an option.  In my house, the leftovers will get eaten for additional lunches and dinners so it was fine.This recipe will definitely appear in the rotation again because I’m excited to see how it turns out with more peanut butter.

Fettuccine with Tomato-Cream Sauce

Tonight we made Fettuccine with Tomato-Cream Sauce from the most recent issue of Cooking Light.

We used fresh spinach fettuccine from Fasta Ravioli Company. We mostly followed the recipe omitting the olives and halving the amount of cooking liquid based on a comment on the recipe.  We also mixed the basil into the sauce not just using it as a garnish.

This was great.  It’s easy, flavorful and way better than any jarred sauce. Next time I might add a touch of sugar to cut down on some of the acidity of the tomatoes, but if I forgot, it’d still be good.

Orzo Pasta Salad

Last night we went to our friend Lisa and Andrew’s house so I brought my favorite pasta salad.  This is the first time I’ve made this salad this year and I love the way the kitchen smells while I’m putting it together.

I started making this loosely based on an orzo pasta salad my friend Celeste told me she makes.

Ingredients:

• cooked orzo
• chopped up asparagus (I throw it in the pasta water a few minutes before the orzo is done to cook it)
• halved grape tomatoes
• feta (I used reduced fat)
• one lemon zest and juice
• shredded or ribbons of basil
• olive oil

I just mix all the ingredients together after the orzo has cooled and refrigerate until it’s served.

If it’s not lemony enough, you can add the juice of another lemon. This salad tastes like spring and summer. It’s refreshing, flagrant and wonderful. It can be a side or it’s own meal.

Creamy Ravioli with Squash, Lemon and Chives (minus the chives)

Tonight we made Creamy Ravioli with Squash, Lemon and Chives from the May 2011 issue of Real Simple.

We picked out this recipe because I got three zucchinis at the farmer’s market this weekend. This was a quick week night meal and it was surprisingly amazing considering how simple it was to make.

We used Seviroli frozen ravioli which was surprisingly good. I think that the cheese in frozen ravioli can be pretty hit or miss but sometimes it’s easier to just have it on hand than buy it fresh. We followed the recipe except for the chives because I am not the biggest fan and then we topped our bowls with halved grape tomatoes because we had some left from my farmer’s market haul.

Spicy Chicken with Spinach Orzo

Sometimes when you try to quit a magazine, they just won’t let you. I did not renew my subscription to Everyday with Rachael Ray months ago but it still keeps coming and my label even says it ends later than it did originally.

I had to quit the magazine because the new layout is too busy and overwhelming and I think I miss most of the recipes because there is so much stuff on one page. Sometimes I confuse their articles for ads. However, in what I do read, I still come across some good recipes.

Tonight we made the Spicy Chicken with Spinach Orzo which is in the September 2011 issue (which is not yet online). It was easy and delicious though, so I thought I’d share.

(Edited on 9/3/11 to add that the recipe is now online!)

I didn’t find it to be all that spicy, in fact I might like a little more heat.  But this is a great recipe for someone like me who hates crunchy raw onions but loves soft, cooked onions.  It did require a lot of chopping, but Mike has excellent knife skills from time spent training to be a chef. Together, it took a little longer than 30 minutes.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

I went running with a friend after work and by the time I got home and showered, we weren’t starting dinner until almost 7:30 pm.  Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa from Cooking Light is a quick, fresh dinner for a night like tonight.

The salsa is easy to make. We omitted the onion because I hate it.

For a side we just made rice with black beans. I made the rice in chicken broth and added sriracha for some heat. I ended up adding more on my plate because it needed more.  It is a quick dinner that really tastes great and I was pretty hungry when we sat down.

I can’t wait to eat leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

 

Grilled Cheese on the Grill

Grilled cheese is my number one. I’ve been wanting to open a grilled cheese restaurant for possibly ten years. But I’m a reluctant entrepreneur. I get the ideas, but I’m scared of the risk. Anyway, I like anything that is grilled cheese-like.

Last night we made Pesto, Olives & Tomato Grilled Cheese.  We found some flat rocks in the yard, washed them and covered them in foil to press the sandwiches on the grill.

This was another easy dinner that tastes so great. We had them with a salad with a lot of home grown (not my home) and farmer’s market vegetables.  Great evening, great dinner, great company!