Asparagus Parmesan

This recipe wins the SUPER FAST, SUPER EASY award hands down.

You cook in the microwave and it takes less than 10 minutes.

It was a fabulous side to steak and roasted potato fries (revisited!)

Asparagus Parmesan

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 9 oz. box frozen asparagus cuts
• 1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• pepper
• 1 Tbsp. grated Parm

Cook

1. Place asparagus in microwavable bowl.
2. Microwave on high 2 minutes.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients except Parm.
4. Microwave 2 to 4 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated.
5. Sprinkle with Parm before serving.

Source [19]

Chicken and Veggies

ATTENTION!!!!  This is one of my favorite new recipes to date!!!

First, there’s bacon.

Then there is chicken cooked in bacon grease.

Plus fresh veggies.

HEAVEN.

Just the Two of Us is one of the best cookbook purchases I’ve ever made.  This dish was quick, easy and so delicious, I don’t have words to describe it.  WH wants it on the “rotation”.  I want it every night.  DONE.

Easy Chicken and Garden Veggies

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 chicken breasts (we used 1)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt (I have garlic powder and added some salt)
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 4 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed and left whole
• 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium plum (Roma) tomato, cut lengthwise in half then sliced
• 1/4 c. Italian dressing (or balsamic vinaigrette)

Cook

1. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring until crisp.
2. Remove bacon and keep warm.
3. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic salt and pepper.
4. Place chicken in skillet and cook 3 to 5 minutes until browned on both sides.
5. Discard excess bacon grease.
6. Add water and green beans to skillet.
7. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 8 minutes.
8. Stir in bell pepper.
9. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally.
10. Cook until chicken is done.
11. Stir in tomato and dressing until heated through.
12. Top with bacon.
13. Serve with rice if you like.

Source [19]

Grilled Chicken and Crazy Rice – Part 2

You received the recipe for Crazy Rice yesterday, now here’s Part 2!  The Grilled Chicken recipe also comes from My Italian Grandmother and is originally called Grilled Lemon Chicken.  I did not experience the true lemon flavor as much as I did the herbs because I forgot to zest the lemon… so if you want it really lemony, make sure you zest!  This chicken is easy to prep and grill in a grill pan, although it does need to marinate for about one hour.

The only problem I ran into was with my herb application.  I’ve been using these herb blends, which are like herb paste in a tube.  See:

The herb blends are super flavorful and quick, but when grilling the chicken, the excess burned very easily.  There was still plenty of flavor on the grilled chicken, but I had to pick off a lot of burnt herbs as I cooked.  Not the most appetizing looking stuff.

Grilled Chicken

[only slightly adapted from My Italian Grandmother]

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 chicken tenderloins (or chicken cutlets)
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• small clove of minced garlic
• 1/8 c. parsley blend paste
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning blend paste
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Table Blend
• salt and pepper

Cook

1. Combine lemon juice and zes, garlic, parsley, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Add chicken and coat each piece well.
3. Let marinate for one hour.
4. Heat grill pan and drizzle with oil or cooking spray.
5. Cook chicken on both sides until cooked through.
6. Chicken can be served whole or chunked and added to the Crazy Rice.

Grilled Chicken with Crazy Rice – Part 1

Um, this dish is good.  REALLY good.  Trust me.  I would never lie to you.

I recently came across another new blog called My Italian Grandmother.  Here’s how the blogger, Michele, describes her content:

“This blog is a tribute to my Italian Grandmother Emilia who everyone called Nanny…whether she was theirs or not. Nanny passed away at the age of 98. This is my attempt to keep her memory alive, through stories, recipes and photos. She certainly passed along her love of cooking to me and I will share recipes and stories (inspired by her and others) with you here.”

I love the concept and I’ve bookmarked several recipes from her blog.   The other night I had the opportunity to try one out. As the weather gets warmer (or flipping hot if you are not used to SC heat), I am drawn to dishes with lots of fresh veggies.  This one really caught my eye and it turned out absolutely delicious.

In Part 1 I’ll tell you how to make this Crazy Rice which you could pair with many other things.  The way that WH and I eat, it could be it’s own meal.

Michele’s original recipe calls for brown rice, but I used white as it’s what we typically have on hand.  Michele’s recipe is also made to serve probably 4 to 6, but I halved everything.  The basic gist is chopping up lots of fresh veggies, including Campari tomatoes (which are SO GOOD.  First time eating this specific tomato and it’s the best I’ve ever had!).  Anyway, you chop them up and saute/cook veggies then add wine and reduce.  Stir in the cooked rice and you’re ready to go!

Crazy Rice

[only slightly adapted from My Italian Grandmother]

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 boil-n-bag rice (or whatever rice)
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 zucchini, chopped
• 4 to 5 small Campari tomatoes, chopped
• 1/8 c. diced red bell pepper
• splash of dry white wine
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/8 c. parsley herb blend (from a tube)

Cook

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in skillet and saute onions, peppers, and garlic in oil.
3. Once soft, add zucchini and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add tomoatoes and cook down, about 2 minutes.
5. Add wine and reduce.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.
7. Add cooked rice and toss with vegetable mixture.
8. Note: If you use a fair amount of oil in the beginning and/or wine and/or tomatoes, it should not be dry.  If it is, Michele suggests adding more oil.

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I’ll share my version of the chicken recipe!

Roasted Potato Wedges

The final part of my multi-dish meal: potato wedges.  This one comes from Pioneer Woman.  Roasted Potato Wedges is probably the only recipe of PW’s I’ve made because she does things that I think are kind of complicated.  I’m just not up to par with her yet!  But this one I could totally make.

Clearly from the pictures, I cooked mine a little too long.  So go look at PW’s pictures instead because they are beautiful.

Since you can basically make these babies anyway you’d like, I sprinkled with minced garlic and paprika then topped with chopped rosemary when done.

beautiful

I loved them even with their little over-cooked edges.  Delish.