One-pan, kid-friendly, Chicken Parmesean

I have a new-Mom friend (who adopted the most BEAUTIFUL baby girl!), who was signed-up for Meal Train. It is a great website where family and friends can sign up to bring meals to new parents, folks recovering from injuries/surgeries or enduring an extended illness, to welcome a new neighbor, assist a family around a military deployment, or those grieving a loss. Knowing that my friend liked pasta, but also often had a 7-year-old nephew around, thought I'd try to make a kid friendly recipe. So here it is...chicken parm made with chicken tenders! Thanks to Christine's Cuisine for the recipe and beautiful photo!

One-pan, kid-friendly, Chicken Parmesean

Ingredients

• 1 (28-oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 oz. pasta (ziti, penne, fusilli etc.)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb. cooked chicken tenders, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Cook the oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a 12-inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. 
Stir in the tomatoes, water, 1 cup of the broth, and the pasta. Bring to a vigorous simmer, cover, and cook until pasta is tender, 15 to 18 minutes, stirring often.
3. 
Stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and the chopped chicken. If the pasta seems dry, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. Sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
4. 
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Bake 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Orzo Salad

I was recently looking for a light and easy recipe to bring to a work pot luck. I had never made orzo, and thought this recipe by Giadia De Laurentis would be fun to try.  In the end, our neighborhood market had no orzo, fresh basil, OR mint, so I substituted small shells, and dried basil. The end product was still good, so I can't wait to try again with the correct ingredients.

Orzo Salad 

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups orzo
• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. 
2. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. 
3. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. 
4. Drain the orzo through a strainer. 
5. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. 
6. Set aside to cool completely.
7. Once cool, toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. 
8. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. 
2. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. 
3. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

As an alternative, I might try this with the house vinaigrette my old friend, The Naughty Chef, makes at his workplace!

Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet

In looking for a new slow-cooker recipe, I found this recipe on Pinterest. I was drawn to the word Cassoulet!  I love it! The recipe originally called for turkey sausage, but we prefer spicy Andouille. We also added rice to make this a heartier stew rather than a soup. A very satisfying meal!

Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet

Prep time:  10 min

Cook time:  Slow cooker 8 hours

Ingredients

• 2 (16-oz) cans Great Northern or Cannellini beans, undrained
• 1 (28-oz) can diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14-oz) package Andouille Sausage, sliced
• 3/4 cup Chicken Broth
• 3 medium Carrots, sliced
• 1 cup chopped Onion
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup Rice *(optional)

Directions

1. Combine first 11 ingredients in a 5-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. 
3. Remove and discard bay leaf.
4. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese before serving.

*Optional Rice add-in: To make this more stew/less soup like...

1. At 6.5 hours, turn to high and bring to boil (usually by hour 7) 
2. Stir in 3/4 cup uncooked rice. 
3. Cook on high the remaining hour. 

Serves 6

Adapted from Southern Living 2007 Annual Recipes

6 Secret Uses for Oranges

Maybe it is the Mythbusters influence in our home, but I've been exploring unconventional or interesting ways to use household items. I found this list of creative and clever ways to use oranges around your home to save time and money. I am interested in trying 1 and 5!

6 Secret Uses for Oranges

1. Use for kindling
   Dried orange and lemon peels are a far superior choice for use as kindling than newspaper. Not only do they smell better and produce less creosote than newspaper, but the flammable oils found inside the peels enable them to burn much longer than paper.
   
   
2. Make a pomander
   Pomanders have been used for centuries to fill small spaces with a delightful fragrance as well as to combat moths. They are also incredibly easy to make: Take a bunch of cloves and stick them into an orange, covering the whole surface. That’s it. Pretty simple, huh? Now suspend your pomander using a piece of string, twine, or monofilament fishing line inside a closet or cupboard, and it will keep the space smelling fresh for years.
   
   
3. Simmer for stove top potpourri
   Fill your abode with a refreshing citrus scent by simmering several orange and/or lemon peels in 1-2 cups of water in an aluminum pot for a few hours. Add water as needed during the simmering. This process freshens up the pot as well as the air in your home.
   
   
4. Keep kitties off your lawn
   Are the neighbor’s cats still mistaking your lawn for their litter box? Gently point them elsewhere by making a mixture of orange peels and coffee grounds and distributing it around the cats’ “old haunts.” If they don’t take the hint, lay down a second batch and try moistening it with a bit of water.
   
   
5. Apply as mosquito repellent
   If you’re not crazy about the idea of rubbing onions all over yourself to keep away mosquitoes, you may be happy to know that you can often get similar results by rubbing fresh orange or lemon peels over your exposed skin. It’s said that mosquitoes and gnats are totally repulsed by either scent.
   
   
6. Show ants the door
   Get rid of the ants in your garden, on your patio, and along the foundation of your home. In a blender, make a smooth puree of a few orange peels in 1 cup warm water. Slowly pour the solution over and into anthills to send the little pests packing.

Courtesy of Reader's Digest