Smashed Potatoes with Stilton Cheese and Scallions

Sometimes potatoes can be boring! Well these potatoes my friends are far from boring. In fact these morsels are amazingly delicious. They are a cross between mashed potatoes and potato skins. The center of the potato is soft  and creamy and the outer skin is crispy and flavorful. This recipe isn't the quickest to make because there are a few steps involved, but believe me the extra effort is well worth it. You basically boil red or white baby potatoes until they are tender, gently smash them with a metal spatula, add olive oil and salt and pepper and bake in the oven until crispy. Then add your cheese topping and bake for an additional 5 minutes. I added a good quality stilton cheese to the tops and diced scallions. I also made a few with cheddar cheese for the boys. Honestly, you could add whatever topping you'd like and it would probably taste spectacular. Choose your toppings like it's a mini pizza. Be creative, use what you have in your pantry or add whatever strikes your mood. Heck, serve a dip with it and dunk away! Salsa, horseradish, french onion, chipotle, chili cheese. I kept it simple and added a dollop of plain greek yogurt as a dip to give it a cool refreshing bite. the best thing about these potatoes is that anyone can make these or anyone can help out. Nate helped me smash the potatoes….a fun job for him or any kid. We had to toss the first one because I had to tell him to gently smash the potatoes and not smash them like he was playing Whack a Mole! Geez Nate! You can also make this recipe as a side dish or as an appetizer and 2-3 per person is good. So however you choose to make these amazingly delicious smashed potato morsels, they will be a total hit at your dinner table. Salute to a creative, far from boring, twist on potatoes!

Nate gently, gently I say, smashing the potatoes

Potatoes before being baked and crisped in the oven

Just out of the oven. Now to add the cheese!

Done!

A dollop of greek yogurt to add a cool bite

Smashed Potatoes with Stilton Cheese and Scallions (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 1 hour

Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients:

• 12 baby red or white potatoes
• olive oil
• salt n pepper
• 1 ounce of stilton cheese, crumbled
• 2 tb diced scallions/green onions
• optional * plain greek yogurt or sour cream on the side

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender when pierced with a fork. Place potatoes on a cutting board. Potatoes will be hot so be careful. Using a metal spatula, gently push on potatoes until they are flattened half way. Press gently or else they may fall apart. Add flattened/smashed potatoes to a cookie sheet with a coating of olive oil. Drizzle more olive oil over the top of the potatoes and salt n pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and crispy. Add stilton cheese to the tops of each potato and bake in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Serve on a platter and add scallions. Add a side of sour cream or plain greek yogurt to top.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "Yep, I'm the one who helped smash these babies!"

Tyler: "These are really tasty. Better than french fries!" Tyler had the cheddar and the stilton cheese and loved them both.

Zachary: "I love the crispy parts. And the cheese is super good on them."

Dave: "I think crumbled bacon on the top would add a great layer of flavor. These are delicious."

Andrea: I will make these for an appetizer because they are a real crowd pleaser. The nice thing is that the potatoes can be boiled and smashed ahead of time. And just before a party you could bake in the oven. I think bacon crumbles would be excellent on top too!

Wonton Soup with Bok Choy and Fresh Ginger

Dave is out of town again on business, so if you see his food impressions missing in action lately that's why. He has been traveling an unusual amount recently. He cries that it's exhausting traveling so much….I cry, ya right, take me with you and I'd gladly be exhausted….especially when it's New York City. He's staying at the Plaza (I'm saying The Plaaaza in that stuffy kind of voice darling) and he's in a room that looks more like a Manhattan Apartment! Poor Davie..I feel so sorry for him.

Honestly, when Dave does travel and I'm not tagging along, I use this as an opportunity to do something special with the boys, something that Dave would not have any interest in doing, things that make him cringe. Like having a pizza party in our bedroom with Pizza Hut Pizza and watching horror flicks. Yes, call me crazy but I love Pizza Hut pizza…it's the buttery, greasy crust that does it for me! 3 things that make Dave cringe: eating upstairs, eating Pizza Hut pizza, and watching horror flicks. Well Dave will be happy because we only did two of the things that make him cringe…eating upstairs and watching horror flicks! Who doesn't like scary movies, right?

My plan was to order two deep dish pizzas and a double order of breadsticks with marinara sauce from Pizza Hut and then I changed my mind. The weather has been rainy all week and I was in the mood for soup. I didn't tell the boys my plan was to get pizza so when I made soup there was no complaining. Plus they simply love soup. So I made giant bowls of homemade Wonton Soup with Bok Choy and Fresh Ginger. Gosh it was soooo good.

Dave called me, from The Plaaaaza don't forget, to say goodnight and that he was going to dinner. I said to him well you have fun and enjoy your dinner because we are eating the most delicious wonton soup ever. He thought it was odd that I didn't get Pizza Hut pizza and asked that I save some soup for him. I told him the way the boys are devouring the soup I wasn't sure there would be any left. I know how much Dave loves soup so I did save him a bowl, even though I was a tad envious that he was in NYC and I wasn't!  Then I thought for a moment, as I looked at the boys all comfy cozy, wrapped in their blankets, leaning against their pillows, in their PJs, with stuffed animals by their side, eating giant bowls of my homemade wonton soup, watching scary movies in our bedroom….where would I really rather be: at home or NYC? Hands down, at home. Salute to being at home with my boys eating giant bowls of Wonton Soup, camping in our bedroom watching movies!

Wonton Soup with Bok Choy and Fresh Ginger (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 tb finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 cups of cut bok choy (chinese cabbage) I used baby bok choy
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• frozen mini chicken or pork wontons - about 20 wontons (I used Trader Joe brand) or *use 2 packages of ramen noodles 
• 4 scallion sprigs sliced

In a large soup pot, add broth and ginger over medium-high heat until it comes to a mild boil. Add bok choy and carrots and let cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add wontons and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Add scallions. Serve in deep bowls and garnish with extra scallions.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "I could eat 10 bowls of this soup it's so good."

Tyler: "It's not so easy trying to eat this soup in the bedroom. I like the wontons but whats the green stuff inside?" Cilantro Tyler.

Zachary: "Can you get me a second bowl…I don't want to go all the way downstairs!"

Andrea: Very very good soup. It's lighter and not heavy on the sodium. It's fresh tasting and the ginger adds a nice touch. I love simple soups, especially ones that don't require a lot of prep work. Supe quick easy meal to make during the week or as a first course.

Spinach Brownies - Say Whaat?

I was at a wine tasting party a few months ago. There were amazing wines and amazing food pairings to go with it. A co-worker of mine was there and she brought an appetizer to the party. She insisted, and I mean insisted that I try her appetizer which she called "spinach brownies." I did not want to try her so called spinach brownies…it looked too much like a breakfast food, plus the recipe title was odd…spinach brownie! That doesn't even sound appetizing…is it breakfast or is it a dessert? Sounds like a bit of an identity crisis to me!

After she asked me again to try her appetizer, I just told her it looked really good. Then I tried steering our conversation in another direction in hopes that she wouldn't insist I try her spinach brownie again. Well our conversation lasted a whole 5 minutes and she was back to insisting I try her recipe. She said she didn't get a chance to taste it, wanted to make sure it was good and wanted my opinion. I was like great she wants me to be her guinea pig. She then proceeds to cut a slice for me, puts it on a plate and says "Here you go, try it." I felt like she was my grandmother trying to feed me liver as a kid and not being able to say no. Plus, I kept thinking this appetizer which seems more like breakfast…this is really going to throw off my whole wine tasting palate. AND to boot I'm going to walk around with spinach stuck in my teeth after taking a bite. So the good person I am, said "Oh thank you for cutting me a piece." She looked at me anxiously awaiting my response…I begrudgingly took a bite and was like holy-deliciousness! It was amazing! It didn't taste eggy like I thought it would. It tasted really cheesy and spinachy. I took another bite and then took a sip of my Savignon Blanc that I was sampling. It paired so well together, seriously, I know! Shame on me for resisting to try her recipe and kudos to her for practically shoving it down my throat. I told her how absolutely delicious it was and even took a second piece.

I never asked her for the recipe but I remember her telling me a few key ingredients. I've improvised the recipe and it tastes delicious every time. It has been a staple in my house ever since. Although this is really an appetizer, I typically make it on a weekend and eat it for breakfast. I also make sure to make plenty of extras so I can bring it to lunch during the week. It keeps really well and heats up in the microwave in under a minute. When I make this recipe as an appetizer I add chopped artichokes. The boys love it, especially Zachary. Dave likes it but it's not hearty enough for him. I usually bake this in a 9 x 13 inch glass bake pan but since I made this for Mother's Day and wanted it to look fancy, I cut the recipe in half and made it in a quiche pan. So why is this called spinach brownie? I have no idea other than the fact it's baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan and it's cut into brownie sized squares. Salute to making this deliciously odd sounding recipe, that will probably cause you to unknowingly walk around with spinach in your teeth!

Spinach Brownies (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 6 in 10 inch quiche pan

*Double recipe if using a 9 x 13 pan and cut into square pieces and bake 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen package of chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup half in half
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup  crumbled feta cheese
• dash of nutmeg 
• 1/8 t salt
• 1/8 t pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the quiche pan or spray with a non stick cooking spray. Whisk eggs, half n half and greek yogurt. Add spinach, cheddar cheese, feta cheese, nutmeg and salt n pepper. Mix until well blended. Pour spinach/egg mixture into quiche pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "Delicious. I feel like I have so much energy for the day now."

Tyler: Didn't have any…he opted for a huge piece of italian bread toasted with butter.

Zachary: "Ohhh, I love it when you make spinach brownies. Why are you cooking it in that round dish? They are thinner now." Zachary had 3 helpings!!!

Dave: Didn't have any…he opted for poached eggs over italian bread. He used my new egg cooker…can't wait to post about that cool accessory!

Andrea: Love, love, love! I especially love to eat this for lunch at work. I haven't served this as an appetizer yet but if I did I would probably add chopped artichokes to it.

Strawberry Scones - Moist and Flavorful!

Every once in a while I get a craving for scones. You're probably thinking scones, why scones? Who gets a craving for bland dry little hockey pucks. I certainly don't crave scones that are bland and dry but I do crave them when they are moist, flaky and flavorful, with a hint of sweetness…like the ones they make at Niagara Home Bakery on Queen St. in Niagara on the Lake. They have the absolute best scones. I've searched high and low for a scone recipe that matches their incredible taste and texture. It hasn't been easy and I certainly haven't mastered their scone making skills but this recipe I'm sharing with you is pretty darn close. I think scones get a bad wrap for being dry and bland because people don't know what they really are or what they are supposed to be. Scones taste bland because, well they're supposed to. Scones originated as a Scottish quick bread and resemble more of a biscuit texture and flavor. Think of a scone as a piece of thick bread that you toast and then spread a creamy butter or homemade jam to it. Many people take a bite of a scone and cry bland because they expect it to taste something like a muffin. Well it's not supposed to. I love a good muffin, like my berry muffins, but they are loaded with sugar. Yes I know, our taste buds are in love with sugar. The scone recipe I make calls for hardly any sugar and most of the sweetness comes from the fresh strawberries or fresh fruit that's added to it. In my opinion I'd much rather take a bite of a sweet strawberry rather than a bite of sweet sugar. These scones are perfect for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon treat or even as an after dinner dessert. And for those of you who really have a sweet tooth, like my three sons, add a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top an it will taste like strawberry shortcake. If I'm not having the scone for breakfast but rather a dessert I like adding a touch, I mean a big touch, of powdered sugar just like they do at Niagara Home Bakery! Salute to moist, flavorful strawberry scones.

Shape into a ball on a floured surface

Flatten dough with your hands and add fresh strawberries

Fold dough in half so strawberries are buried.
Flatten with your hands. 

Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut 10 scones

Place scones on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and rub heavy cream on top of each scone.

Bake for 15 minutes

Flavorful, moist scones! Add butter, jam or powdered sugar!

Strawberry Scones (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time:  30 minutes

Makes 10

Ingredients:

• 2  cups all purpose flour
• 2 tb granulated sugar
• 2 tb baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 stick of cold diced unsalted butter
• 2 eggs whisked
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cups diced strawberries
• powdered sugar *optional for top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix with a fork. Add diced butter to flour mixture and mash with a fork until butter is well mixed into the flour. It should resemble a thick course flour mixture. Add whisked eggs and cream and mix with your hands or a large spoon. Mix until ingredients are blended together but don't over mix. Dough may be a little sticky. Shape into a ball. Add ball of dough to a flat floured surface. Flatten dough with your hands in a circle shape until it's about a 1/2 inch thick. Add strawberries to top of dough then fold dough mixture in half. Continue to flatten dough with your hands and shape until it's about 3/4 inch thick. Using a small round cookie cutter or glass, cut 10 scones. Place each scone on parchment paper. Spread a little heavy cream on top of each scone. Bake in oven on middle rack for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and spread butter or jam on top or let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Food Impressions:

Nate: "I loved these for dessert last night but I like them even better this morning. Maybe scones taste different in the morning."

Tyler: "What are these? They don't look like muffins. I really like it when I get a big bite of strawberries." 

Zachary: "Super good and scrumptious."

Dave: "Nice with my coffee."

Andrea: I love this recipe for scones. You can add any fruit and it would taste flavorful and moist. Perfect breakfast treat!

Simple Skillet Tacos - Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This morning while the boys were eating breakfast I told them today was Cinco de Mayo. They asked what it was and I told them it's the celebration of tacos. Keep in mind, I know that Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of tacos but rather a celebration of the Mexican Army's victory against the French during the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. I told them that in honor of Cinco de Mayo I was making tacos for dinner and that they would be wearing sombreros and drinking out of margarita glasses. They were very excited about Cinco de Mayo - especially because they were just told we'd be celebrating the occasion with a taco feast. I chuckled when I left the house because my boys were so happy to think that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of tacos!

Weellll, little did I know that all three boys had Spanish class in school today. It started with Zachary who had Spanish first. Señor W asked the class if they knew what Cinco de Mayo was.  Zachary raised his hand and said "My mom said that it was the celebration of eating tacos." Señor W replied with "I think your mom might be a little confused and went on to explain what it really was." Then Tyler had Spanish class. Señor W asked the class if they knew what Cinco de Mayo was. Before Tyler answered he thought to himself - this is great my mom just told me this morning what it was - so he excitedly raised his hand with the "ooh ooh ooh I know." So Señor W calls on him and Tyler says "It's the celebration of tacos!!!" Señor W replied "that's exactly what your twin brother said" and then proceeded to say that while today is a day many people celebrate by eating mexican foods Cinco de Mayo is not the celebration of the taco. Now it's Nate's turn for Spanish class. Señor W asks the class if they know what Cinco de Mayo is and Nate being the older brother and a little wiser knew it couldn't be to celebrate the taco so he raises his hand to answer. Señor W calls on Nate and says "I think I know what you're going to say." Nate says "It's a celebration of the Mexican heritage so today people will celebrate by eating Mexican foods like tacos and wearing Mexican clothes like the sombreros." Señor W responded by saying that's very close to what your brothers said earlier."

So the boys came home to tell me that I was wrong and that Cinco de Mayo wasn't the celebration of tacos, wearing sombreros and drinking out of margarita glasses. I had no idea the boys would have Spanish class today, and that the teacher would ask if they knew what Cico de Mayo was, and that each of my boys would answer the question with such vim and vigor! I thought how embarrassing for them but how embarrassing for ME! Sr. W thinks I have no clue what Cinco de Mayo is! He thinks I think it's only about eating tacos and drinking margaritas!!!!  Then I thought to myself  - Heck ya, that's exactly what Cinco de Mayo is all about! I'm proud that each of my boys stated that it's about the taco!  Because eating delicious mexican foods and drinking refreshing mexican drinks is surely what it's all about.

So to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in our house I made delicious skillet tacos. We also wore sombreros and drank milk out of margarita glasses! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and had a really good laugh about what happened in Spanish class today! What I love most about skillet tacos is that its simple. All of the ingredients of the taco are heated in the skillet with the exception of the tortilla shells, lettuce and sour cream. I am a big fan of the taco bar concept, but honestly that involves a lot of bowls and a lot of mess. With my skillet taco recipe everything is in one pan, hence no mess and very little clean up. That works for me especially for a weeknight meal. This taco skillet recipe also goes well on a flour or corn tortilla, over lettuce or even served over a platter of nachos. So whether it's Cinco de Mayo or not, serve this simple, festive skillet taco dinner and your family will surely say mucho gracias!  Salute to tacos!

Add black beans, diced tomatoes and white rice to the
ground beef

Now add red onions, cilantro and lime juice 

Now add the grated cheddar cheese, stir and wait for the
cheese to melt

There you go…a one skillet taco meal!

Scoop a spoonful on a flour tortilla, a salad or tortilla chips.
Festive and delicious!

My three amigos!!!!

Simple Skillet Tacos (Click here to print)

Preparation and cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
• 2 packages of taco seasoning, hot or mild (I used Ortega brand)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup of cooked white or brown rice (I used 1 package of boil in a bag rice)
• 1 can black beans 
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 fresh lime
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 12 tortilla shells
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• sour cream* optional
• hot sauce* optional

In a large skillet add ground beef and cook over medium heat. When the beef is no longer pink, strain the fat. Return beef to pan and continue to cook over low heat. Add the packages of taco seasoning and two cups of water and stir until well blended. Add the cooked rice, black beans, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro and stir until well mixed. Add the juice of a half of lime and stir. Add the cheddar cheese and stir. Let heat for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add a scoop of taco mixture to a corn or flour tortilla and add sour cream, lettuce and hot sauce. Serve and enjoy.

Food Impressions;

Nate: "This is super good. I want two or three tacos." 

Tyler: "This is so good I could just eat the meat part." He ate two taco and then used the nacho chips to scoop up the cheesy beef."

Zachary: "I love this and it's fun celebrating the taco! I don't like this green stuff though." he didn't like that I added so much cilantro.

Andrea: This is one of those meals that is so easy to make and your family will LOVE!

Pork Tenderloin: 10 Reasons to Cook Pork, the Other White Meat

It never fails, my boys always call pork chicken. It doesn't matter if I say I'm making pork, it doesn't matter if I have a menu in front of them that says it's pork and it doesn't matter if I write "I made pork" across my forehead with a sharpie marker they would still say this is great chicken! I guess I don't blame them... pork is considered the other white meat ya know! Tonight I made a savory pork tenderloin with a shallot pepper rub and a side of pork gravy. Simply delicious!

Many people avoid pork because they consider it fattening or unhealthy. While some cuts of pork aren't the healthiest, some are... like pork tenderloin and loin chops. In fact, a lean piece of pork has the same amount of calories and fat grams as a piece of skinless boneless chicken breast. 

Honestly, our family loves all pork, including the not so healthy kind like bacon, ribs and pork butt (see my post on pulled pork butt ) My favorite by far is pork tenderloin and not just because it's healthy or tastes delicious, I love it for several reasons. In fact, I could easily name 10 reasons why I love pork tenderloin. So here are my reasons why:

1. It's moist, tender and delicious. My boys mistake it for chicken, like all of he time.
2. It's inexpensive. Especially if you buy a family pack from Wegmans. I know those family packs are ginormous so just freeze what you don't use and save yourself a few bucks.
3. It's quick cooking. Only 15-20 minutes per 1 pound tenderloin. You can't cook some things that quickly in the microwave.
4. It's healthy, low in fat, low in calories and it's an approved lean meat by the American Heart Association and Dr. Oz…how cool is that?
5. It's great anytime of the year. Serve it with mashed potatoes and cranberry compote in the winter or serve it with jasmine rice and mango salsa in the summer. 
6. It's easy to prepare. Put the whole loin in a large zip lock bag, add a little olive oil, citric juice, spices, herbs, salt n pepper, mix it around. That's it…5 minutes of prep work and you're done. Just as quick as toasting and buttering bread! 
7. It's versatile. Keep it whole, slice it, stuff it, cube it, skewer it, grill it, roast it, pan sear it, slow cook it... The versatility goes on or whatever strikes your mood.
8. It's good to serve hot, room temperature or even cold.
9. It's perfect to serve a crowd. If I'm entertaining 12 people it's easier cook 4 loins than it is cook 12 chicken breasts or hamburgers. Plus it only requires slicing...no buns, no condiments! 
10. It's goes well with any ethnicity of flavors, Cuban, Spanish, Italian, Asian, Mexican, Greek, French. 
11. I know I said 10 reasons but here's one more... Kids love it! Have them dip it in BBQ sauce, blue cheese or ketchup and they'll think they're eating chicken nuggets!

So there you have it, 11 reasons why I love pork tenderloin! Salute to pork tenderloin, the other white meat! 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Shallot Pepper Rub (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 25 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2  - 1 lb. pork tenderloins
• 2 tb olive oil
• 1 tb minced garlic
• 1 tb minced shallot
• 1/2 t dried tarragon
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/8 t salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large zip lock bag add pork tenderloin and all of the ingredients - olive oil, garlic, shallot, tarragon, pepper and salt. Mix ingredients until pork is well coated. Place pork on a cookie sheet or roasting pan lined with a non stick piece of foil. Drizzle extra olive oil and spice mixture on top of pork. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees (medium rare) and the top is deep golden brown. Take pork out of the oven and wrap the pork with the foil and let rest for 5 minutes. The internal temp should reach 160 (medium) after resting for 5 minutes. Place pork on a platter and cut into medallions. There will be juices in the foil from the pork, pour over top of slices pork and use as a gravy.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "This chicken is soooo good. I hope there is more"

Tyler: "This is so juicy. Can I have more gravy on the top?"

Zachary: "I hope you have lots more of this chicken!"

Dave: He was woking late so didn't get to have any of the delicious pork tenderloin. 

Andrea: Juicy, moist, crispy coating, flavorful. A huge hit and it only took me 20 minutes to make. 

The Best Orzo Recipe Ever!

This post is very simple: THIS IS THE BEST ORZO RECIPE EVER! There is no need to even explain how good this recipe is, just trust me and make it. You will LOVE it and it will be a staple recipe in your house, I promise.

When Dave and I started dating 15 years ago, I found an orzo recipe from Gourmet Magazine. Gosh do they even publish that magazine anymore? Let me Google it…I'll be right back. Nope, they stopped publishing in 2009. Too bad, that was a great magazine. I had never made orzo before so making this recipe was a bit of an adventure to me. The recipe is Parmesan Orzo with Scallions. I remember hoping it would turn out okay, especially since I had only been dating Dave for a few short months. Well it didn't just turn out okay, it turned out spectacular. I was like this is damn good if I do say so myself! Dave was thoroughly impressed with my culinary skills. The recipe is pretty basic to make but the taste pretty amazing.

I seriously must have made this recipe 100 times throughout the years. If you know me well, you've probably had this recipe at my house at some point. It's a crowd pleaser for all ages. Kids loves this orzo recipe. Almost every time I make it for someone they ask for the recipe. So here it is if you don't already have it. My dear cousin Samantha asked for the recipe not too long ago. She made it and she said it turned out great. Good job Sam! This is also one of those recipes that you taste while it's still in the saucepan and can't stop eating it...Kinda like Tyler, Zachary and I did!

The recipe I have below is the basic recipe but it can be altered by adding other ingredients, like cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus or peas, really whatever ingredient you are in the mood for will go well. If you add other ingredients keep it simple; the more you add the more it takes away from the original flavors. The boys like it best the original way. I made a 12 ounce box of orzo and there was barely any left...and Dave wasn't even home for dinner tonight to eat any...and I made pork tenderloin to go with it. Yep, that's how delicious it is. Salute to the best orzo recipe ever from Gourmet Magazine circa 1997!

Start with 1 12 ounce box of orzo pasta

Bring 4 1/2 cups of water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes to a boil

Turn heat down to medium and occasionally stir

The liquid will begin to evaporate in the orzo,
continue to stir

After about 10 minutes almost all of the liquid will be evaporated, turn heat to low and stir.

The orzo will be perfectly cooked and no need to strain the liquid. Now add the parmesan cheese and scallions and stir.

Now you have the BEST ORZO RECIPE EVER!

Parmesan Orzo with Scallions (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 20 minutes

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 12 ounce box orzo pasta
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/8 cup of chopped scallions
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/8 t salt
• 1/8 t pepper

In a medium saucepan add 4 cups of water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Add orzo and turn heat down to medium-high. Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking. After about 10 minutes the liquid will almost be evaporated. Turn heat down to low until all liquid is evaporated. Add parmesan cheese and scallions and stir. Add to a large bowl and serve as a side dish.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "Yum, this is so delicious..minus the scallion-onion green things."

Tyler: "I love orzo, it's super good." Before he even finished his orzo on his plate and walked over to the bowl to help himself to more before it was all gone.

Zachary: "Oh wow, this is super good." He finished his orzo in 2 minutes and had a huge second helping.

Andrea: The best orzo recipe ever!