Creamy Orzo with Peas

We made this for lunch today and it was great! Can be adapted for a side dish as well. The original recipe used asparagus but I used peas in hopes that Amelie would like that better and she did! Adapted from Sugar & Spice by Celeste.

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo

1 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp butter

a splash or two of cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large sauce pan of water (filled about halfway) to a boil over medium heat. Add salt and orzo and cook until until tender, about 8 minutes.

After the orzo has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the peas to the same pot.

Once the orzo and peas are cooked and tender, drain and return to the pot.

Add the butter, cheese and cream. Stir and add cream until you reach your desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper.

2.5 months

Our sweet baby at 2.5 months! So smiley and laid back. He's such a joy!

Quinoa & Veggies

I never thought I liked quinoa until I tried this. So delicious and very versatile. Perfect for a healthy and yummy lunch. 

Yields 4

Ingredients

         1 cup rinsed quinoa

         2 cups chicken broth              

         2 garlic cloves, chopped

         1 small onion, chopped

         1 zucchini, diced

         1 large tomato, diced

         4 ounces crumbled feta cheese or 1/4 C parmesan

         fresh basil leaves

         1 tablespoon lemon juice

   extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Bring the quinoa and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan ;reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pan. Follow directions on package and cook until done. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet; add the garlic, onion and zucchini, season with salt and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato & basil and take off the heat. Once the quinoa is done, combine the veggies to the quinoa and add the lemon juice and cheese. Serve hot!

Golf Outing

Our friends Steffi & Kyle came to visit last weekend. We had such a fun time with them as always. We did lots of Olympic Watching, walking around town, catching up & watching Swamp People (thanks to them for introducing us to the world of alligator hunting). We took them to the Himalayas for a little golf that the whole family could enjoy. Here are some pics from our outing. 

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Thanks again Food Network! These were delicious.

Marinated Grilled Chicken Pepitos

Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

10 min

Cook Time:

10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds thinly cut chicken breast
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, or the juice of 3 oranges
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 bolillo rolls
• Avocado slices, for serving
• Shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving
• Olive oil, for serving
• Red wine vinegar, for serving

Directions

Place the chicken in a 13-by-9-inch glass dish. Heavily sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken with the thyme and oregano, making sure everything is evenly incorporated. Pour the orange juice all over the chicken. Let it marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat the vegetable oil on a heavy grill pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken. Cook about 5 minutes on one side and flip over, using tongs. Cook on the other side until perfectly browned and the chicken is cooked through, another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat and reserve, covered.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise, chipotle and garlic until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Season with salt. Reserve.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture on the inside of a bolillo roll. Slightly toast the bolillo roll on the grill pan on medium-high heat, about 1 minute per side. Place a chicken breast on the inside of the roll. Add the avocado slices and top with lettuce. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Close the sandwich and serve immediately.

Glamis Gardens

Last weekend we headed to Glamis to see the ground and gardens in their prime. We have only been there during the off season and even though it is always beautiful we knew it would be extra green this time of year. We took a picnic and ate near the playground, then went on the Woodland walk and through the gardens. It is such a stunning place. The size of the trees is unbelievable and the setting is really beautiful. We'll miss having things like this right around the corner. 

All the pictures are from our outing except for the last one, which was taken later that day at home :)