Jingle Bells for Dinner

When I'm up for something new and exciting and a little but exotic to make for dinner, I go to Trader Joe's.  This brussel sprouts stalk was laying in the produce section and was calling out to me when we were in the store.  I picked it up, held it vertically up-side-down and started singing Jingle Bells.  We followed the recipe on the tag that it came with (brush with 1/4 cup olive lil and 3/4 cup maple syrup, microwave for 4 minutes and then bake for 45 minutes) because I didn't think that very many options would come up if I google brussels sprouts stalk recipe.  I could be wrong though since one should never underestimate the power of the almighty search engine.  The brussels sprouts were good.  It's surprising how filling they are!

I hope you all have a great weekend!  The weather and temperature is so beautiful here in Phoenix.  We're thinking about venturing into some outdoorsy activities!

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

I first learned about Orzo because Jake came home from school one day and told me that his professor's wife made orzo for dinner the night before.  So random.  I swear you learn the most interesting and random things about your professors in college just by attending lectures.  There's this one time when a phone started ringing in the middle of lecture in my finance class.  My 78-year-old professor froze, made a face, took out the ringing phone from his pocket and answered the call.  His phone was a hot pink razor.  The whole class just about died.  But I digress...

Remember the basil plant I was telling you about a couple days ago?  This is the second recipe I made with my fresh basil leaves from my very own basil plant that is still very much alive may I add.  This is a very yummy dish.  Jake calls it the high-class rice-a-roni.  I personally think that it is so much better than rice-a-roni.  It's creamy, smooth, and fresh-tasting.  You can pair it with some grilled chicken, ribs, or a vegetable stir fry.  The possibilities are endless!

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

From allrecipes.com

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.

Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Marinated Tomatoes

You know how plants wilt and die when a villain walk pass them in cartoons?  If I were a cartoon character, I would be one of those villains.  I am horrible with plants.  You would think that if I ccould raise a child then it wouldn't be too challenging to grow a plant.  Wrong.  Somehow I manage to kill almost every plant that was unfortunate enough to have been under my possession.  Let's be honest, growing up I rode on more subways that I had walked on grass so perhaps it's a good thing we live in Arizona--this way my rock garden wouldn't stand out too much.

But then I've always wanted an herb garden.  There's something about cutting fresh herbs from the plants and cooking with them that makes me happy.  So with a little bit of courage and lots of hope, I bought a basil plant from Trader Joe's last time we were there.  The good news is that the plant is still alive.  It has actually grown quiet a bit!  To celebrate, I decided to make a couple recipes with fresh basil and here is one of them.

This is so yummy.  I love it on grilled baguette.  It's heavenly.

Marinated Tomatoes on Baguette
From The Pioneer Woman

1 cup Canola Oil

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

4 Tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

3 whole Green Onions, Sliced

1/4 cup Chopped Parsley

18 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)

1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme

2 cloves Garlic, Minced Finely

2 pounds Tomatoes, Cut Into Quarters (if Big) Or Halves (if Small)

1 whole Baguette, Sliced

1 clove Garlic, Peeled

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a large glass bowl. Whisk to combine, then add tomatoes.

Allow to marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours, several hours if possible. Tomatoes will give off liquid as they marinate.

Use leftover tomatoes to make bruschetta: slice baguette and brush slices with olive oil. Grill on a skillet or grill pan until golden. Rub slices with garlic cloves. Top with tomatoes, allowing juice to drip on the bread.