Tag: cheese

Chicken, Orzo, and Spinach Skillet with Kalamata Olives, Tomatoes, and Basil

by Pam on November 26, 2012

I found this Cooking Light recipe on Myrecipes^[1] and decided to give it a try. The reviews for the recipe said it was a little bland so I decided to throw some extra flavors in it including, kalamata olives, onions, and garlic as well as seasonings. It was a simple and comforting dish that was easy to make, smelled great while it cooked, and tasted even better. My husband and I both loved it but my kids just thought it was okay. I am looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.

Cook the orzo in salted water, per instructions. Side Note: Sprinkle a little bit of chicken bouillon granules into the boiling water for extra flavor. Drain the orzo and all but 1/2 cup of cooking liquid through a colander.

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and season with a bit of crushed red pepper, oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; cook stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Remove the onion from the skillet and set aside. Season the chicken with a sprinkling of oregano, garlic powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place the chicken into the same skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté 6 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Turn the heat to low then add reserved cooking liquid to the skillet, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan; add the minced garlic and stir. Add the chopped tomato, softened onions, kalamata olives, and tomato paste, to the skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken, orzo, basil, and spinach leaves, stirring until spinach wilts. Taste and re-season if needed. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese and serve. Enjoy.

Print^[2]

Save^[3]

Chicken, Orzo, and Spinach Skillet with Kalamata Olives, Tomatoes, and Basil

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 15-20 min.

Total Time: 30-40 in.

Ingredients:

1 cup of orzo, cooked per instructions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
Oregano, to taste
Dash of Crushed red pepper, to taste
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Garlic powder to taste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat & cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups chopped tomato
2 tsp tomato paste
Large handful of kalamata olives, sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn
Feta cheese

Directions:

Cook the orzo in salted water, per instructions. Side Note: Sprinkle a little bit of chicken bouillon granules into the boiling water for extra flavor. Drain the orzo and all but 1/2 cup of cooking liquid through a colander.

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and season with a bit of crushed red pepper, oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; cook stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Remove the onion from the skillet and set aside. Season the chicken with a sprinkling of oregano, garlic powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place the chicken into the same skillet over medium-high heat (add cooking spray if needed). Sauté 6 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Turn the heat to low then add reserved cooking liquid to the skillet, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan; add the minced garlic and stir. Add the chopped tomato, softened onions, kalamata olives, and tomato paste, to the skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken, orzo, basil, and spinach leaves, stirring until spinach wilts. Taste and re-season if needed. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese and serve. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Inspired by Cooking Light on MyRecipes

References

^{^} Myrecipes (www.myrecipes.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Save to ZipList Recipe Box (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella, baby spinach and sun dried tomatoes; a wonderful dish for the Holidays. Serve this with potato parsnip mash^[1], skinny garlic mashed potatoes^[2], or creamy cauliflower puree^[3] and some roasted vegetables on the side.

Are you ready for the holidays? I’m so behind but I did get around to seeing Santa this weekend. A very excited Madison didn’t cry and even gave Santa a list of what she wanted (which included a pony). I just love this innocent age, I wish I could freeze time.

These next few weeks I’m going to focus on Holiday dishes, sides, appetizers and desserts. I’m still running my mile a day until the New Year (lost track of how many days it’s been), it’s a nice balance to some of the baking that’s happening around here.

Pork tenderloin is perfect for the holidays, and it’s just as lean as chicken breast. I love how the colors of the spinach and sundried tomatoes look so festive when you cut it open. You can easily double this recipe to serve eight. If you’ve never butterflied a tenderloin, it’s not very hard. I found this video on how to cut a pork tenderloin ^[4]which you may find helpful, although I cut mine a little different as described below. Either way is fine.

Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 2 slices • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 5 pt
Calories: 208 • Fat: 8.5 g • Carb: 3 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 29 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 219 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
1 1/2 oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese (Polly-o)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 oz thin sliced prosciutto
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine crushed garlic, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, and pepper; mix well.

Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the tenderloin to within 1/2- inch of bottom (careful not to cut all the way through). Open tenderloin so it lies flat. On each half, make another, lengthwise slit down the center to within 1/2-inch of bottom; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness with a mallet.

Remove plastic wrap; spread 1/2 of the garlic/Dijon mixture on the inside of the pork. Layer the cheese, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and proscuitto on top, press down gently.

Roll up pork jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Tie the roast at 1-1/2-inch to 2-inch intervals with kitchen string.

Season lightly with salt, and remaining garlic/Dijon mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Place under the broiler to brown the top for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter or cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes before removing string and slicing. Slice in 8 pieces.

References

^{^} potato parsnip mash (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} skinny garlic mashed potatoes (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} creamy cauliflower puree (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} video on how to cut a pork tenderloin (www.youtube.com)

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Chicken Cordon Bleu-wich – An Old Classic Gets Open Faced

If you love chicken cordon bleu because it’s “fancy,” and
you serve it primarily to impress dinner guests with your culinary skills, then
this video is really not for you. However, if you love chicken cordon bleu
because of its winning flavor combination of chicken, ham, and Gruyere cheese, then
stick around.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the classic preparation, and will
do my version one of these days, but for all that pounding, stuffing, rolling, pinning, breading, frying, and baking…I can
deliver the same basic flavor and texture profile with significantly less time
and effort.

By the way, while most consider this a French recipe, the
word on the street is that this actually originated in Switzerland. That
doesn’t really have any bearing on the recipe, but since I can’t remember ever
giving the Swiss a hard time here, I thought I’d take this opportunity to ask,
what’s up with those pocketknives? You really need one tool that can both kill
a squirrel and puck nose hairs? Seems a little much.

Anyway, it’s been a while since I posted a sandwich video,
and this, as the name would indicate, was certainly a blue ribbon winner. It
made for a perfect lunch, but throw a poached egg on top, and you’ve got a
stellar brunch item; or cut these up into quarters, and serve as finger food
for the next big game. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
*Note: topping can be made days ahead and baked whenever.

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup diced smoked ham

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp milk

3 oz shredded gruyere cheese, divided (save a little for the
top)

1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard

pinch of nutmeg

1 cup diced cooked chicken

1/4 cup diced dill pickle

1/2 cup diced ham

cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp bread crumbs mixed with 1 tsp melted butter for the
top