Veggie Rice

We've had this as a side dish quite a bit lately, and it's super easy to halve/double as needed. I prefer this to a flavored, packaged rice.

For the four of us, I make 2 cups of Minute rice according to pkg directions. I throw a couple of teaspoons of chicken bouillon in for flavor.

Chop veggies to bite sized - I use whatever is in season or throw in what I have left from the week - great way to use the rest of the tomatoes, leftover broccoli, etc. My favorite is a small zucchini, a small summer squash, and a red pepper. But you can use anything.

Sauté veggies in a little olive oil. Add salt, pepper, minced garlic, or whatever spices go with your main dish When the rice is ready, dump it into the frying pan and mix with the veggies.

This makes enough for six side dish sized servings.

Chicken Explosion!

Parmesan Basil Orzo

We love this recipe!  It's now a staple in our rotation.  Easy to make while something is baking in the oven.  I'm posting the original recipe, but I halved the butter and cheese to make it healthier and it's delicious.  I've never made the version with the full amounts!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Butter (I used only 1.5 Tbs)
• 1-½ cup Orzo
• 3 cups Chicken Or Vegetable Stock
• 6 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Basil (I used 2 Tbs. dried)
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese (I used 1/2 a cup)
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Pepper

 Cooking Info:

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo and saute for a few minutes (if using the dried basil, add it now and saute it with the orzo), until the orzo starts to get golden brown. 

Add the broth and cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until all the broth has been absorbed. 

Remove from the heat, add the basil and Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

 Serve With:  Greek Yogurt Chicken

Nutrition Info:

This is calculated using 1.5 Tbs butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  This makes about 3.5 cups of orzo so it's calculated as 7 one half cup servings!

Calories:  238
Fat:  6.2 g
Cholesterol:  14.4 mg
Sodium:  512.5 mg
Total Carbs: 36.8 g
Fiber:  1.7 g
Sugars: 2.1 g
Protein:  10.6 g

Greek Yogurt Chicken

It doesn't get easier than this.  Seriously.  3 minutes to prep, 45 minutes to cook.  Zero work.  I initially made this with only 1 lb. of chicken.  I used half the mix, put the rest in the fridge, and made it again a few days later with the other half!

Ingredients:

1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 c Greek yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (any kind you like)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

 Cooking Info: spread mix over chicken breasts, bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes


I forgot to take pictures, and mine wasn't nicely browned like this, but it was really good and SUPER juicy chicken.  I've tried this recipe with mayo instead of greek yogurt and I like the yogurt better.  Maybe next time I'll try a few minutes under the broiler to get it darker.

 Serve With: a veggie, and parmesan orzo.  Yum!