Cooking This Week

3 savers and 1 discard this week and I remembered to take pictures of 2 of them. Woohoo.

Garlic Chicken with Orzo Noodles

A little too much garlic for me so next time I make it I'll use 1 clove versus 2. Daughter and son would not even try it. It does have a very intense smell but I thought tasted delicious.

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic (I recommend only 1) (I diced up cloves)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces

salt to taste

Parmesan cheese for topping

1. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlice and red peper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stire in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear. Reduce heat to medium, and mix in cooked orzo. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
3.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

(from: Allrecipes.com submitted by vbrauer671)

Janet's Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Simply delicious.

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (I would use slightly less next time, it was a little too chocolately, Can't believe I'm saying that)

Preheat over to 350. Grease 8-in square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bakingsoda and salt.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and remaining 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Beast in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture, in 2 parts, until just combined.

Pour 1/2 the batter into the cake pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cinnamon-sugar and 1/2 chocolate chips. Sppon the remaining batter as evenly as possible over the filling, spreading gently. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
(From: Rachael Ray Magazine)

Toasted Cashews

I received a can of whole cashews for Christmas (cause I love them) and realized while eating them that my favorite ones were roasted more than the others, therefore, making them more crunching. So I looked through my recipes for toasted nut recipes cause I knew I had some. Alas, I found. It is so simple. This recipe/suggestion called for baking nuts for 10 minutes (for whole nuts) in a 350 degree over on a cookie sheet. I would cook for a little less time. Some got just a little too toasty but in general, toasted cashews are delicious.

Barbecue Fries

This is my discard recipe. Flavor was good but way to oily and some fries were just too soggy. Now I like soggy fries but some were too soggy for me. Some were too crunchy. I had even mixed them around while baking. Maybe I should try recipe again using less oil and mixing around more than once as the recipe called for.

5 tablespoons olive oil (way too much)

6 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 pounds russet or baking potatoes (3 potatoes), scrubbed

Heat over to 450 degrees. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil onto rimmed baking sheet.

In a large bowl (I used a plastic bag) combine the remaining oil, barbecue sauce, hot pepper sauce, black pepper, and paprika. Cut potatos lengthwise into 8 to 10 wedges. Add them to the bowl and toss. Spread potatoes in a single layer on prepared sheet.

Bake, turning once, until golden and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream for dipping (if desired).

(From Real Simple, September 2006)