Mediterranean Orzo & Vegetable Pilaf

We had this last night and it was so good!

3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small zucchini, diced

1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (about 14oz) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

sliced black olives (optional)

1.  Cook orzo according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low.  Add zucchini and broth; simmer 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender.

3.  Add cooked orzo, artichokes, tomato, oregano, salt and pepper; cook and stir 1 minute or until heated through..  Top with feta cheese and sliced olives, if desired. 

Macaroni Salad

I discovered this recipe about 2 years ago, and we love it.  While the recipe calls for 1/4 cup fresh dill, I typically use 1 Tbsp of dill weed.  Everything else is as stated in the recipe.

1lb elbow macaroni

6oz cheddar cheese, cubed

1/2 red onion, minced

4 celery stalks, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup fresh dill

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1.  Cook macaroni until ad dente (slightly firm).  Immediately run under cold water.  Drain well and set aside.

2.  In large mixing bowl, toss together pasta, cheese, onion, celery, bell pepper, and peas.

3.  In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.  Pour over pasta mix from step 2 and toss until well coated.

4.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Will keep 3-5 days in fridge

Homemade Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small dill pickle, chopped very small (3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon capers, chopped, optional
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, capers, dill, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl and stir until well blended and creamy.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste then adjust with additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For the best flavor, cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week.

recipe from:

https://www.inspiredtaste.net/38503/tartar-sauce-recipe/

Hunan Fish Fillets

 yield  4 servings

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp finely chopped green onion

2 tsp dark sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb red snapper, scrod, or cod fillets

1.  Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees.  Line basket with parchment paper or foil; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2.  Combine soy sauce, green onion, oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; stir to blend.  Brush fish with soy sauce mixture.

3.  Cook in batches for 8-10 minutes or until fish begins to flak when tested with a fork.

This was awesome!  I used mahi mahi, as that's what we had on hand.  I served this with a homemade tartar sauce, which I will share the recipe for that one in a separate post.

Sweet and Savory Ribs

 crock pot

yields 8 servings

prep time  10 minutes

cook time  8 hours

1 large onion, chopped

4 lbs boneless country-style pork ribs

1 bottle (18oz) honey barbecue sauce

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup spicy brown mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Place onion in crock pot.  Top with ribs.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over ribs.  Cook, covered, on low 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.

This one had a very onion-y flavor to it.  The meat was very tender.  We probably only had half the amount of ribs called for in the recipe, but it was plenty for the 4 of us.  Had Steven and Max still been here, we would have been in trouble!

Crispy Smashed Herbed Potatoes

yields  4 servings

prep time  25 minutes

bake time  20 minutes

12 small red potatoes (about 1.5 lbs)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp minced fresh chives

1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain.

2.  Drizzle oil over the bottom of a 15x10x1 baking pan; arrange potatoes over oil.  Using a potato masher, flatten potatoes to 1/2" thickness.  Brush potatoes with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.  Roast 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Sprinkle with chives and parsley.

These were scrumptious!  I used aluminum foil on the pan before drizzling the oil so we'd have an easier cleanup.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Sausage

yield  6 servings

 start to finish   25 minutes

1 pkg (19oz) frozen cheese tortellini

2 fully cooked Italian chicken sausage links (3oz each), sliced

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained

1 pkg (6oz) fresh baby spinach

4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese

1.  Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir the sausage over a medium-high heat 4-5 minutes or until browned.  Add tomatoes and spinach; cook and stir just until the spinach is wilted.  Stir in cream cheese until melted.

2.  Drain tortellini; add to sausage mixture.  Toss to combine.

We used all the sausages that came in the pack (it was either 3 or 4 links), and this was plenty to feed 3 of us and enough for me to have lunch at work the following day.  I also used a 10oz pkg of baby spinach, as the store did not have a smaller pkg size.  

Very yummy!