Orzo with Sweet Potato and Ginger

Adding vegetables to your diet is a great way to keep healthy, and this meatless dish will win you over with it's bold satisfying flavors!

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I have the perfect "Meatless Monday" dish for you.  It's a wonderful vegetarian, and vegan dish that can be a main course or a side dish.  It's filled with vegetables, spices, and a bit of pasta for a treat you won't be able to resist!

I just love orzo.  Those plump, chewy grains that look so much like rice but are actually tender pieces of pasta.  I surely don't use it as often as I'd like, which seems silly when you know how fast it cooks up.  The orzo in this dish gives you a wonder base for all the caramelized vegetables and flavors combined with it.

ORZO WITH SWEET POTATO AND GINGER

Let's take onions, garlic, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes, caramelize them up all in one large skillet, then throw in some flavor boosters and some cooked orzo  — sauteing until you’re left with a sinfully delicious dish of pasta and vegetables.

We build the flavor in the skillet in stages and what is left is a treasure to behold!

This is also a very satisfying dish to eat. There’s no meat, but still hearty enough to satisfy a whole crowd of dedicated meat-eaters.

Enjoy!





Orzo with Sweet Potato and Ginger


Serves

4 as a main dish, 6 as a side dish

8 ounces orzo pasta
Canola oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large pot of water to boiling and salt it generously. Cook the orzo until barely al dente, about 6 to 7 minutes. Drain and toss with a generous drizzle of oil so that the grains of orzo are lightly coated with oil; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Drizzle in a little canola and heat until very hot. Add the sweet potatoes and arrange them in a single layer. Cook over high heat until they begin to caramelize and turn brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the sweet potatoes and cook for 3 minutes more.

Turn the heat down to medium and push the sweet potatoes up in a pile against one side of the pan. Add the onions to the center of the pan and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are beginning to turn brown. Add the garlic and ginger and stir them into the onions. Push the onions off to the side of the pan, next to the sweet potatoes, where they will continue to caramelize.

Add the mushrooms to the hot center of the pan and cook for 4 minutes without turning them. Stir the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. At this point everything should be getting well-cooked; the onions should be quite dark brown and the garlic should be golden and soft. The potatoes should be softening.

Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Pour this into the pan with the vegetables and mix everything together, scraping the bottom as you go. Cook for 3 minutes.

Turn the heat up to high. Add the orzo gradually, shaking in a cup at a time, and stirring and scraping constantly. Cook, letting the orzo get browned on the bottom of the pan, then scraping it up, for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley, and season as needed. Serve hot.

adapted from: the kitchn

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Valentine's Day Dinner Date: Skillet Pizza for Two

Delicious cheesy pizza just for two is so much better than takeout, and it's doable on a weeknight!

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Since Valentine's Day falls on a Friday this year why not stay in and have a quiet date night?  That's what we are planning to do and I have the perfect dinner in mind:  Pizza! 


We've eaten a lot of Friday night pizzas so it's only fitting that we make Skillet Pizza for Two at home together.  This pizza is really easy and super quick which is perfect for a weeknight.

Make this two ways:  

• No-yeast dough (recipe below) 
• Store bought pizza dough

Did I mention the secret ingredient in the no-yeast dough is beer? Yes, beer creates a wonderful pizza dough.  So choose your dough, then choose your toppings.

Simple classic pizza toppings such as 4 cheese, that's what we used here, allows the crust to really shine.  So why not cozy up this holiday with your loved one and share a homemade pizza, just for two!

Enjoy!

 Skillet Pizza for Two

 Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup beer

1 Tablespoon olive oil + more for the skillet

1/2 - 1 cup pizza sauce

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fontina cheese
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in food processor.  With processor running, slowly add beer and and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Process until the dough pulls away from sides and forms a shaggy ball, about 1 minute.

Using floured hands, form dough into a tight ball and cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rest for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Roll one half into a 10 inch round.  The other half may be placed in the freezer for another use.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat, Transfer dough to the skillet and cook, poking holes with a fork on any bubbles that form, until bottom is a deep golden brown and crisp, 3 – 4 minutes.  Flip dough and add the pizza sauce and the cheese mixture. 

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes until crust is browned and cheese is golden.  

Remove pizza from the oven and the skillet and place on a cutting board.  Slice into wedges and serve.

Valentine's Day Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls for Two

A small batch of piping hot cinnamon rolls bursting with all that cinnamony goodness and slathered with a sweet gooey icing is all you need for a sweet Valentine's Day breakfast!  And because these are no-yeast cinnamon rolls these bake up in no time.

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Valentine's Day is coming quick and I love to cherish my man with a little something special for breakfast.  Something like these Valentine's Day Pancakes or these Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins. Today we are going back to an old comfy classic of Cinnamon Rolls.  Who doesn't love a hot cinnamon roll bursting with cinnamon and sugar and topped with a sweet gooey glaze?  Oh man,  I love the smell of cinnamon in the morning!   

Now I grew up with mom making cinnamon rolls using this no-yeast technique and they are done in a pinch and decadent and tasty!  These are the quick way to make cinnamon rolls when you don't have a lot of time but still want a comforting pastry for breakfast!  

I searched high and low for my mom's recipe and came up empty handed.  So I adapted one from a favorite blog (Dessert for Two) that makes small batches of everything, and these are just perfect. 

What better treat to make the love of your life than a breakfast of piping hot cinnamon rolls!  Plus, they are super cute, and you make them in your muffin tin.  Winner!

Enjoy!




Cinnamon Rolls for Two

yield: 4 rolls

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
4 tablespoons butter, melted, divided 
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:

2 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375, and spray 4 cups in a muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a small measuring cup, combine the milk, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until a soft dough forms.  Flour a counter or board and dump the dough out onto the board.  Pat the dough into a 6" long rectangle.  Pour the remaining butter on top of the dough covering the entire surface.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Sprinkle over the melted butter.  Roll the dough into a log starting with the long side. Roll away from you. When you get to the end of the dough, pinch the entire seam shut.

Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, and place them cut side up in the greased muffin tins.  Bake for 14-16 minutes until golden brown.  

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add powdered sugar and milk and stir together until a nice glaze forms.  Check check to see if it drizzles easily.  If not add a tiny bit of milk until you reach your desired consistency.  

Remove cinnamon rolls from the oven and drizzle with glaze.  Serve warm.