Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

Sarah

I’m not sure what the deal is, but I’ve become pretty much obsessed with soup over the past two years. Before that, I couldn’t really handle it [except for tomato and potato], but now? Sign me just about anytime, anywhere. That’s why I don’t mind so much when we have spring cold spells, like we’ve had here in Indiana lately. I mean, it’s the end of April and it’s 50 degrees out and rainy. No fun… except that it just gives me one more excuse to make soup.

lemon orzo chicken soupAnd this is my new favorite spring soup! It’s tangy yet creamy, filling yet light.  It’s super simple to make, even with the long list of ingredients. Don’t let the inclusion of eggs in a soup scare you–they add a delightful rich, velvety layer of flavor. I used dried herbs and orzo–but use fresh herbs or another small pasta if you want. I can’t wait to make this in the summertime when my balcony herbs are flourishing! They’re still little baby nubs right now. 🙂

Don’t you just want a bowlful now? I sure do!

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup [from Good Life Eats]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 3 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 2 – 3 large handfuls of fresh babyspinach, chopped [or combination of spinach and kale]

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with black pepper, then add to hot pan. Pour in 2 tablespoons lemon juice; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each dried parsley and thyme. Turn to coat, then cook completely.

Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Pour in white wine, chicken broth, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil.

Whisk together egg yolks and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. In a slow, trickling stream, carefully pour in 1 cup of hot broth [from pot] to egg mixture, whisking while pouring. Transfer the mixture back to the pot. Add orzo and chicken.

Reduce heat to medium low, partially cover, and cook until pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Before serving, add 1 teaspoon each of parsley, thyme, and sage, then stir in spinach/kale.
Time: 45 minutes.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Sarah

Week of April 30

Monday: Baked Flounder
Tuesday: Shrimp Stir Fry
Wednesday: Chicken Burgers [from Trader Joe’s]
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: out to eat to celebrate my graduation!
Saturday: some kind of Mexican
Sunday: appetizers/desserts at church 🙂

~~~

Last week we had some really yummy old favorites as well as some new favorites that I want to blog about soon… Potato & Chorizo Tacos and Chicken Curry and Couscous. Mmmm! Friday was my birthday [my golden birthday–27 on the 27th!] and though I was exhausted from being up late writing a paper the night before, it was still a fun day. Ben made me some delicious funfetti cake and we had a great Indian dinner together. Since it was my golden birthday, over the past month Ben has been getting me little gifts to celebrate. I want to make a photo collage but am waiting until gift #27 arrives, so I hope to share that soon! Have a great week. 🙂

Breakfast, Coffee Cake, Recipes

Royal Berry Coffee Cake

Sarah

So, it’s springtime… but not quite berry season yet. Never mind–frozen berries work just fine in this fluffy, light coffee cake that features not just one but two kinds of delicious berries for your enjoyment. Drool! Raspberries and blueberries pair perfectly in this indulgent breakfast-y dessert treat. There’s just something so special about raspberries, huh? I think so, anyway.

slice of royal berry coffee cake on a plate with text reading "royal berry coffee cake" in the backgroundRoyal Berry Coffee Cake was the product of a recent Saturday night baking experiment. Those are the best! I started the tradition in high school when I’d bake at night after getting home from running at a cross country or track meet, watching classic TLC shows like “Trading Spaces.” Sometimes friends would be over baking with me, other times it’d just be me and the pets. Now, it’s me and the kitty… with Ben someplace nearby.

The recipe originally was my mom’s, pulled from a newspaper or newsletter of some sort [the credit goes to a woman from at Purdue… just googled her, apparently she’s a chef at at dining hall]. My mom had noted that it was delicious in August 2006, and I am happy to report that it was absolutely phenomenal in April 2012. 🙂 Sweet!

The main change I made to the original recipe was doubling it and baking it in a Bundt pan instead of a 9×13 pan. I did not double the amount of berries [because I wouldn’t have had enough otherwise], so feel free to halve the recipe if that works better for you–just bake it for about 30 minutes instead.

slice of royal berry coffee cake on a plateHowever you make it, this springtime cake is sure to satisfy. Each bite of vanilla cake is dotted with berries, and looks impressive when it’s really a cinch to make. The hardest part is waiting for it to bake… the smell is just incredible, and it tastes even better! Make this now!!

What are you baking this spring?

Royal Berry Coffee Cake [adapted from Grace Brutsman, Hillenbrand Hall]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup frozen red raspberries
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:

Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan, then set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together flour and baking powder. Set dry ingredients inside.

Then, cream butter in a stand mixer, incorporating sugar gradually, beating well after each addition until mixture is fluffy and light. Stir in eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute to combine.

Stir vanilla into milk in a measuring cup. Then, alternate adding dry and wet ingredients into bowl of stand mixer, beating well after each addition.

Place half of each type of berry in bottom of prepared pan. Cover with half of cake batter, add rest of berries, and top with remaining batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 65-75 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cover with foil after about 45 minutes if the cake starts to get dark.

Cool for 15-25 minutes before inverting on cooling rack, loosening edges with plastic knife if necessary.

Time: 85 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 16-20 servings.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Ham & Cheese Baked Pasta

Sarah

I meant to share this recipe last week so you had a use for your leftover Easter ham… but alas, school got in the way. As Stephanie Tanner would say, “how rude!” I mean, why should school be more important than blogging? Kidding!

But despite the delay, this pasta is still as awesome as it was two weeks ago when I made it. I glazed the Easter ham this year with a mixture of 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Before brushing on the glaze, I scored the ham in diamond criss-cross pattern and stuck whole cloves in the points. After we feasted on the ham for dinner, I whipped up the leftovers into something just as fabulous.

It’s warm, comfy baked pasta dotted with savory ham, crisp broccoli, and sweet red bell pepper all wrapped up in a gooey, garlicky, cheese sauce that is utterly out of this world. Topped with some crunchy Panko bread crumbs, you’ll have a hard time saying no to seconds [or thirds!].

Hungry? Hope so!

Ham & Cheese Baked Pasta
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 9 ounces uncooked pasta, such as penne or ziti [approximately 3 cups dry]
  • 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 8 ounces grated Colby cheese
  • heaping 1/2 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small red bell pepper, diced [heaping 1/2 cup]
  • 8 ounces cooked ham, chopped
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta to al dente, adding broccoli during the last minute of cooking. Return pasta and broccoli to pan.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in flour slowly, cooking until bubbly. Then add milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in Colby, mustard, and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir until cheese melts, then pour cheese sauce over pasta. Add bell pepper and ham, and mix until combined.

Pour into ungreased 2 quart baking dish, top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Time: 45 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 8 servings.

Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Sarah

Week of April 23

Monday: Black Bean Soup Like You Mean It
Tuesday: Lemony Kale Pasta
Wednesday: last night class! Ben fends for himself.
Thursday: Potato & Chorizo Tacos
Friday: my birthday! out to eat to celebrate 🙂
Saturday: leftovers or maybe out to eat again, thanks to loads of birthday freebies 🙂
Sunday: chicken curry and couscous

~~~

Last week brought a ton of school work [one more week of graduate school!! and it’s my  birthday week! Well, I still have to finish my thesis over the summer but one more week of classes!] and even a paper I forgot to write [and was graciously allowed to turn in the next day]. So cooking kinda went to the side… but my Teryaki Meatballs were amazing so they will be added to my ever-growing list of things to blog about. 🙂

 

So, last week