I found this recipe online a month or so ago and have been meaning to try it but was out of chicken breast until recently. I made my way to the website because it was featured in a CNN.com article: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/01/floppy-hats-and-decent-food-jenny.html
It's from a Jenny Craig cookbook, but it sure doesn't taste like diet food!
Moroccan Chicken with Orzo
1 cup orzo, uncooked
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric or 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large clove garlic, minced
14-16 ounces chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (1" or smaller)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1) Cook orzo in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2) While orzo is cooking, get out a medium bowl. Add paprika, cumin, salt, turmeric, cinnamon and garlic, and stir to combine. Add chicken and stir until entirely coated with mix.
3) In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion. Saute about 4 minutes, until it's a little soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add chicken. Brown chicken, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 more minutes. Pour in broth and raisins. Drop heat back to medium and let it cook for 5 minutes.
4) Kill heat. Remove skillet from burner. Pour cooked orzo into skillet. Stir until thoroughly combined. Top with fresh cilantro and serve.
How I changed it:
I didn't have chicken broth; I had chicken bouillon. Instead of draining the orzo, I stirred in the bouillon powder into the pasta water.
I didn't add raisins. The Hubs doesn't like raisins and I want to get his opinion on the recipe. If he eats it, maybe we'll eat it more often when he's not on the Atkins diet.
I also didn't add cilantro. If I'd had some, I would have used it but I am currently out!
Saffron threads are expensive. Even if I had a full time job I wouldn't buy them. I used turmeric.
Definitely delicious. It's not spicy hot, but spicy warm like a sweet curry. I went back for seconds. The recipe is supposed to make 5 servings. But it's the only thing I ate for dinner, so maybe there are only three servings if you don't have a side of vegetables.
The wine I'm trying tonight is Snapping Turtle Chardonnay. It is about a $10 bottle of wine. Even chilled, there isn't a bite. I'd buy it again. I didn't eat it with the chicken and orzo. This is my after-dinner-need-a-drink-so-i-can-sleep drink. I'm exhausted physically after driving, well riding while Jenny drove, to a jobsite 1-1/2 hours away. We had work to do there and drove there three days this week. I'm thinking part time work is for the birds!
Showing posts with label Chardonnay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chardonnay. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Chardonnay #3 and two dinners
For the last several days, I've been drinking out of a bottle of Alamos Chardonnay, an Argentinian wine. I believe I have found the first Chardonnay that I enjoy. It is not bitter when cold, nor when room temperature. Yesterday's dinner was a vodka cream sauce pasta, and this evening's was creamed spinach and pork tenderloin. It went well with both dinners.
Below are recipes for both dinners, both so that I remember how I made them, and to share.
Vodka Cream Sauce Pasta
1/2 a package of store bought dry pasta, boiled
1 jar of Vodka cream sauce (I used Classico.)
about 4 oz of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Seasonings: basil, parsley, thyme, sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Cook the chicken in a skillet with olive oil until finished. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and onions and saute until tender. Add more olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.
When tender, add the entire jar of sauce and stir until well coated.
Fold in the pasta. I say "fold" because the skillet will be full.
Add the seasonings. This last summer, I had a lot of herbs, so I froze them into ice cubes. I used an ice cube each of basil, parsley and thyme. If you have fresh use it!
I ate sauteed asparagus alongside the pasta.
Creamed Spinach
This recipe is adapted from one I found on sparkpeople.com, a weight loss website.
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Tbsp butter
olive oil, as needed
4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a medium onion, sliced thinly
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk (I used 2%, but you could also use 1/2 and 1/2 or heavy cream and reduce the amount of sour cream used.)
1/2 c grated parmesan
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg
Saute the mushrooms and onions in the butter, and if necessary add olive oil. When tender, add the spinach and cook until warmed through. Add the sour cream and milk. Stir to "melt" the sour cream. Add the seasonings and parmesan.
I ate the creamed spinach alongside pork tenderloin. Delicious!
Below are recipes for both dinners, both so that I remember how I made them, and to share.
Vodka Cream Sauce Pasta
1/2 a package of store bought dry pasta, boiled
1 jar of Vodka cream sauce (I used Classico.)
about 4 oz of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Seasonings: basil, parsley, thyme, sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Cook the chicken in a skillet with olive oil until finished. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and onions and saute until tender. Add more olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.
When tender, add the entire jar of sauce and stir until well coated.
Fold in the pasta. I say "fold" because the skillet will be full.
Add the seasonings. This last summer, I had a lot of herbs, so I froze them into ice cubes. I used an ice cube each of basil, parsley and thyme. If you have fresh use it!
I ate sauteed asparagus alongside the pasta.
Creamed Spinach
This recipe is adapted from one I found on sparkpeople.com, a weight loss website.
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Tbsp butter
olive oil, as needed
4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a medium onion, sliced thinly
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk (I used 2%, but you could also use 1/2 and 1/2 or heavy cream and reduce the amount of sour cream used.)
1/2 c grated parmesan
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg
Saute the mushrooms and onions in the butter, and if necessary add olive oil. When tender, add the spinach and cook until warmed through. Add the sour cream and milk. Stir to "melt" the sour cream. Add the seasonings and parmesan.
I ate the creamed spinach alongside pork tenderloin. Delicious!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Chardonnay #2
Opened a bottle of Redwood Creek Chardonnay. It was on sale at Dillon's. I'm on the hunt for wines that taste good that are less than $15. I find it difficult to spend more than that on a bottle of wine, mostly because I don't know what I like and I'm afraid of spending $50 on a bottle of wine that might not taste good.
Well, the Chardonnay... I've learned it tastes better when it's not cold. When it's straight out of the fridge, it is very bitter, but once it comes to room temperature it is sweeter. It has afternotes of honey.
I want to learn more about where these wines are made and where the grapes are grown.
Well, the Chardonnay... I've learned it tastes better when it's not cold. When it's straight out of the fridge, it is very bitter, but once it comes to room temperature it is sweeter. It has afternotes of honey.
I want to learn more about where these wines are made and where the grapes are grown.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
El Portillo Chardonnay
I must say that I am not very good at choosing wines. Mostly because I don't know what I like yet. Therefore, I am starting to buy the same variety of wine, from several different vineyards. This is to see if I don't like the type of wine, or if I don't like the way one vineyard makes it.
I bought a bottle of El Portillo Chardonnay on sale at PFI. I believe it was a $20 bottle regular priced and was on sale for $12 or so. I did not like it. It was very dry and not sweet. I don't like when I drink a glass of wine and it makes the back of my mouth pucker, like I've just ate a lemon drop. I like wine to be smooth. Probably won't buy this Chardonnay again, but will buy another Chardonnay to see if I like it in general.
I bought a bottle of El Portillo Chardonnay on sale at PFI. I believe it was a $20 bottle regular priced and was on sale for $12 or so. I did not like it. It was very dry and not sweet. I don't like when I drink a glass of wine and it makes the back of my mouth pucker, like I've just ate a lemon drop. I like wine to be smooth. Probably won't buy this Chardonnay again, but will buy another Chardonnay to see if I like it in general.
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