Mushroom Orzo

Finding a good side dish is a huge, huge score!  I served this orzo a couple of weeks ago, and I knew I needed make it again for the blog.  I mean, you've got the fun of orzo, the delicious flavor of portobello mushrooms, and the fancy touch of Romano cheese.  What's not to love?  The best part is that the flavors say weekend, but the simplicity says weeknight.

Mushroom Orzo

chefjennylyn.com

3/4 cup uncooked orzo
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced cremini (portobello) mushrooms
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/8 tsp. salt (Ok, I estimated because... 3/8?)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced chives
1 oz. Romano cheese (about 1/4 cup)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook 1 minute or until lightly browned. (This step is important.  Browning the butter lends a depth of flavor you'll miss if you rush.)  Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper.  Cook 4 minutes or until mushrooms release their liquid, stirring frequently.  (I cook mine longer.)

Add broth and vinegar; stir in orzo and chives.  Top with cheese.

* This recipe is from Cooking Light, my favorite food magazine, but I changed a couple of things.  The original calls for white balsamic vinegar, but I used what I already had, and it worked just fine.

Let me take a second to tell you how much you need the Bamboo Grinder Set.  These are the most attractive grinders I've ever seen, and they're backed by the quality of the Pampered Chef.  The best part is that you can actually see when you're running out of something instead of figuring it out while in the midst of four hot burners.  I measured all of my ingredients, and then I used the 3 1/2" Paring Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection to slice my chives.  To finish, I scooped them with the cute little Scoop 'n Measure.  (See below.)

Salt, pepper, and butter are in Pinch Bowls.  Broth and mushrooms are in Easy Read Measuring Cups, and the vinegar is in the Mini Easy Read Measuring Cup.  Then there's the cute Scoop 'n Measure I mentioned.  Adorable!  As always, I'm using the Large Cutting Board to lay it all out.

One reason I like laying all of my ingredients out on a cutting board is that it makes it easy for me to set them right by the pan where I'm cooking.  Then I don't end up scrambling to find things when the skillet is hot and the next ingredient is needed.  By the way, my orzo is boiling while I'm melting the butter, so everything ends up finishing around the same time.

Like I noted in the recipe directions, I cooked my mushrooms more than four minutes.  They're just so much better if you let them get good and brown.  I mean, look at how delicious these look!  In fact, you could stop here and have a fabulous side dish.  Anyway, the mushrooms are in the 10" Skillet from the Executive Cookware Collection, and I used the Mix 'n Scraper as my spatula.

Once your mushrooms are done, you just mix everything together.  Stir in the chives, top with the cheese, and you've got a gorgeous side that's worthy of any dinner guest.  By the way, the first time I made this, I forgot the cheese, and it was still delicious.  Don't tell Cooking Light.

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Creamy Bacon Dip

Take in this top picture, and make a mental note that bacon and green onions on top of a warm, creamy dip should happen in your kitchen soon.  You're welcome.

My husband and I had friends over for a staycation Friday and Saturday, which is just a way of saying we had an adult slumber party.  This was a two-day event, meaning we needed lots of food - "bad for you" food!  This dip had been in my to-do binder, and I had a feeling it would be the perfect appetizer to serve between brunch and lunch.  Turns out, I was right!  With everyone's hearty approval, creamy bacon dip has earned its place as a keeper.  It had us all at bacon.

Creamy Bacon Dip

chefjennylyn.com

8 oz. cream cheese, soft
2 cups sour cream
3 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups cheddar, shredded
1 cup green onion, chopped
Extra bacon and onions for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients, and place them in a 1-qt. dish.  Cover, and bake 25-30 minutes.

Bacon on stoneware?  Absolutely.  For just a few pieces, I use the Medium Bar Pan, but I go with the Large when I'm cooking more.  Heat the oven to 415 degrees, and cook the bacon 20-30 minutes or until you're desired degree of doneness.  I like mine thick and crispy, so I'm more 35-40 minutes. 

Don't you love simple recipes?  There are just a few ingredients to mix together, and you're done.  Sure, you need to cook the bacon and chop the onions, but those are simple tasks that can even be done ahead of time.  In this picture, cheese and sour cream are in a Stainless Mixing Bowl, and more sour cream is in the Measure-All Cup.  Then I've got cream cheese in the Classic Batter Bowl and onions on the Large Cutting Board with a 1-Cup Prep Bowl ready to receive.  The Round Covered Baker is in the back for the actual baking part.

Produce is pretty, especially when the light is good.

Bacon is also pretty nice, especially when you know you're about to eat it.  I used my 5" Santoku Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection for all the slicing and dicing in this recipe.  Side note: You might want to cook an extra piece or two of bacon for nibbling.  Just a thought...

Pop the sour cream out of the Measure-All Cup, and you're ready to go!  To be perfectly honest, I think I'd cut the sour cream by 1/4 or 1/2 cup next time around.  Two cups just seems like a lot, and it's slightly overpowering.  Given that I got this recipe from a sour cream company's magazine ad, I can see why there's so much.  (Sorry, I can't remember which brand, but I'm leaning towards Daisy.)

After mixing everything really well with a Mix 'n Scraper, I put it in the Round Covered Baker because the dip is actually supposed to bake covered.  This is a great piece from the Stoneware Collection because you can do so much with it: bake chicken, microwave a delicious risotto, and more.  To finish the dip, bake it, top it with garnish, and serve to friends!  Oh, and get ready to share the recipe!  Enjoy!

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Easy Brussels Sprouts

I have really curbed my impulse purchasing at the grocery store, but I recently bought something I hadn't planned, and I honestly don't know what I was thinking.  That something was a one-pound bag of Brussels sprouts, a vegetable I knew I hated.  There was one time I actually enjoyed these with a meal, and I guess that memory was in the back of my mind when these guys found their way into my cart.  But really - I think I was just feeling kind of fat.

Easy Brussels Sprouts

chefjennylyn.com

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut off brown ends of Brussels sprouts, and remove any yellow leaves.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and place Brussels sprouts in an oven-proof dish.  Bake 35-45 minutes or until browned and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  Shake the pan every now and then to ensure even browning.

This is a sneak peek at something coming in March - the Bamboo Tablet Stand.  I'm so excited about this item because my current cookbook stand is too big for my iPad, a recipe card, or a single sheet of paper.  Besides, this new stand is gorgeous!  Hats off to the Pampered Chef for hitting us with yet another awesome product!

Moving on - This may be the easiest recipe you'll ever prepare in your life because it's salt, pepper, olive oil - stir, bake.  Do things get any simpler than that?  I have my oil in the Mini Easy Read Measuring cup, and my salt is in an Adjustable Measuring Spoon.  The recipe calls for 3/4 tsp., and guess what?  This spoon adjusts among all of those weird incremental measurements!  I'll mix my salt and pepper in this Pinch Bowl, and of course my Bamboo Grinder Set is poised and ready for action.  There's no pepper like freshly ground pepper, people!

I'm using the Large Cutting Board and the 3 1/2" Paring Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection to prep my sprouts.  Just cut off the little ends, and the outside leaves will come right off.

Once everything is prepped and ready, you just mix it together!  My prepped, rinsed sprouts are in a Stainless Mesh Colander, and I'll add everything together in a Stainless Mixing Bowl.

I'm sorry all the pictures look a lot alike, but that's what happens when you have four ingredients and oh, I don't know... two steps?  I'm using the Small Mix 'n Scraper to stir the Brussels sprouts, and my Mini Baker is ready to be used.  This is one of my favorite pieces from the Stoneware Collection because it's so versatile!  I use it for dips, etc., but it also holds a good amount when you're making vegetables on the side.  And the results?  Just look at the first picture!

Enjoy your Brussels sprouts tonight!

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Chicken Stroganoff Pasta

 

Let me begin with an apology.  It's really difficult to make a creamy main course look appetizing, so I'm sorry that my delicious pasta looks like a pile of goop.  I promise it actually tastes really good!  I pulled this from a 2007 issue of Cooking Light a couple of years ago, and I was confused as to why there was no picture.  I'm no longer confused.

 

We all have our different versions of comfort food, but for me, anything creamy does the trick.  Warm, creamy, noodle-y chicken dish full of fresh mushrooms?  Sold!  This recipe is relatively simple to prepare once you have your prep work done, but it will throw you if you're sautéing onions before realizing the chicken needs to be dredged in the flour and paprika.  Prep, prep, prep!

 

Chicken Stroganoff Pasta

chefjennylyn.com

 

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. paprika

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, sliced

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

1 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 tsp. fresh sage, chopped

1 1/4 tsp. salt, divided

1/4 freshly ground pepper, divided

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

 

1/2 cup less-sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp. sherry

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tbsp. flour

 

5 cups hot, cooked egg noodles

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

 

Directions

 

Combine 1/4 cup flour with paprika, and dredge sliced chicken in mixture.  Set aside.

 

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.  Add sage, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown.  Spoon mixture into a large bowl, and set aside.

 

Heat oil in pan, and add chicken.  Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and remaining 1/8 tsp. pepper.  Sauté 4 minutes or until chicken is done.  Add to mushroom mixture.

 

Whisk together sour cream and 1 tbsp. flour in small bowl.  Add broth and sherry to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Reduce heat to medium-low; add sour cream mixture and remaining 1/4 salt.  Stir in chicken and mushroom mixture, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.  Add noodles and parsley, stirring well to combine.



 

This is what it looks like pretty much every time I cook.  I set my recipe up, get out the ingredients, and pull a few of my most-used kitchen tools.  Easy Read Measuring Cups, Scrapers, Large Cutting Board, 5" Santoku Knife, Measuring Cup Set, Measuring Spoon Set, Bamboo Grinders, and a few Prep and Pinch Bowls are out every time.  Cooking is easier when you place the things you need within arm's reach.

To get 1 1/2 cups of chopped onion, I used two medium ones.  To do them in the Manual Food Processor, simply quarter them, and place them in there one at a time.

A few pumps later, you have this.  Needless to say, I use my Manual Food Processor a lot.  No onion tears, no smell, and no chopped fingers!

I recently took a test to determine whether I was a nerd or a free spirit, and I was definitely a nerd.  I like having my ingredients measured and lined up before I cook, and measuring as I go stresses me out.  The good news is that I have great tools that make this possible!  Notice the sour cream in the Measure-All Cup.  If you have one of these and you've wondered how to use it, wonder no more!  Push it down, fill it up, and pop it out like a syringe.  (Browse the blog for more pics of it actually in use.  I was kind of in a hurry and didn't take a lot of step-by-step photos here.)

 As always, I sliced my chicken with the 5" Santoku Knife on the Large Cutting Board.  Once sliced, I put it in the Small Batter Bowl to await dredging.  In the background, you can see that my mushrooms are hanging in a Stainless Mesh Colander, and everything else is on another Large Cutting Board.

 

I like using the Cake Pan Set for dredging foods.  I also use these pans when I'm doing French toast.  There's plenty of surface area, and the sides are high enough to keep what's inside... inside.  Oh, and the handles - so handy!  Ok, so just dredge your chicken pieces, and lay them back out on the cutting board.

 

Water takes a long time to boil, so it's a good idea to get it started when you begin the rest of your recipe.  By the time it's boiling and your noodles are cooked, you're almost ready for them.  Here, I've got water in the 8-Qt. Stockpot from the Executive Cookware Collection, and the onions are in the 10-inch Skillet from the same.  Conveniently, one lid fits both pieces.

There aren't many other pictures because this is one of those recipes that moves pretty quickly once you start putting it together.  My mushroom mixture is in a Stainless Mixing Bowl here, and I'll add the chicken once it cooks.  Then it's just sauce, adding noodles, and done!  Oh, and the tool in the skillet is the Mix 'n Scraper, one of our four scrapers that won't melt, stain, or come apart.  I love using this in my pans and just leaving it while I do other things in the kitchen.  I don't have to worry about coming back to a marshmallowy mess!

If you're looking for something creamy and delicious during the cold wintery weather, try this pasta.  As always, let me know what you think!

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Call me up: (205) 585-2464

 

 

 

Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli with Pampered Chef Rub

chefjennylyn.com

Broccoli
Olive oil
Pampered Chef Rub (I used Garlic & Herb)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut broccoli crowns from stalks, and rinse thoroughly.  Toss with olive oil and Pampered Chef Rub.
Spread broccoli on Medium Bar Pan, and bake 15 minutes or until crisp-tender.

I often tell people how good the Pampered Chef rubs are on vegetables, but I think it will be helpful to show exactly what I do.  First, choose which Rub you'd like to use.  I'm doing steak with a mushroom fettuccini, so Garlic & Herb seems more appropriate than, say, Buffalo.  Behind my bottle, you can see that I used the 5" Santoku Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection and the Large Cutting Board to prep my broccoli.

I rinsed the broccoli in a Stainless Mesh Colander and tossed it with my Rub and olive oil in a Stainless Mixing Bowl.  This took place at approximately 6:20 p.m.

I got the perfect amount for the Medium Bar Pan, one of my favorite pieces in the Stoneware Collection.

15 minutes later, I had perfectly crisp-tender broccoli with excellent flavor.  When you're doing a couple of recipes that do take thought, it's great to have a healthy side that just goes in the oven without any measurements, etc.  That's the beauty of the Pampered Chef Rubs - all of the measuring is done for you!  My pan is on the Cooling Rack, and I have a Large Serving Spatula to dish it up.

Here are the other recipes in the picture:
Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini
Filet Mignon with Chive-Horseradish Butter

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Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini

Want to know something about me?  I love recipes.  I have four three-ring binders full of them in my kitchen, and I have a fifth binder of to-dos.  The beauty of recipes is that they don't expire, so there's no pressure to try that pasta dish that looked pretty good... tomorrow.  This was in my to-do binder, and it immediately earned itself a spot as a keeper.  Enjoy installment 2 of the "You can do Valentine's Day at home" collection!

 

Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini

chefjennylyn.com

9 oz. refrigerated fresh fettuccini
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
16 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp. salt, divided (1/4 and 1/2)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 white wine (I sub chicken stock.)
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat.
Add onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, and pepper.  Sauté 12 minutes or until mushrooms are browned and have released their liquid. Add wine and thyme; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from heat.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Once drained, add mushroom mixture, 1/2 tsp. salt, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese to pan, tossing to combine.  Serve immediately.

* This is from Cooking Light, but I tweaked a few things.  More mushrooms, more onion, and more garlic, specifically.

 

 

I've shown this before, but this is the quickest way to coarsely chop an onion.  Cut one end off, keeping the fuzzy end.  Then slice it down the middle.  I'm using the 5" Santoku and the Large Cutting Board, my two most often used tools.

Slice the onion into strips, and then slice across, ending at the fuzzy spot.  You'll end up with small, dices pieces, and you won't even have to chase slippery onion around the cutting board.  Safety first!

I never get sick of seeing the Garlic Press do its thing.  You don't have to peel the garlic!  If you're not cooking with fresh garlic, you're missing out. It's ridiculously inexpensive, and it adds so much to every recipe!  Garlic is going into a Pinch Bowl here.

I like to combine ingredients that are going at the same time during prep because it makes things a bit more efficient when the heat is up, and you're adding things in stages.  So just grind the pepper right on top of the garlic.  Looking around, I've got the mushrooms in a Stainless Mesh Colander, the onion in a 1-Cup Prep Bowl, the oil in a Mini Easy-Read Measuring Cup, and my garlic mixture in a Pinch Bowl.

I've found that keeping the Mini Mix 'n Scraper handy for adding ingredients is awesome!  This thing fits right inside my Prep Bowls, Pinch Bowls, and Measuring Cups, so I don't fumble around trying to get things out while what's in the pan continues to cook.  (You can burn garlic in hot oil really quickly while you're trying to get the onion to pour from its bowl.)

Once everything is in the pan, I switch to the Mix 'n Scraper, my favorite tool for cooking.  This thing is a great size for most jobs, and it won't melt when it's left in the hot skillet.  I'm using the 10-Inch Skillet from the Executive Cookware Collection, and the 8-Qt. Stockpot is behind it.  Here's a tip for a recipe where you need a pasta boiled and added to another mixture.  Start the pasta water while you do everything else, and then move it to a large eye of the stove when it's time to really get going.  If you begin with cold water when you actually need to be cooking the pasta, you're going to be waiting a really long time.

The mushroom mixture cooks for 10 minutes, so I use that time to prep the rest of my ingredients.  Stock and half-and-half are in Easy Read Measuring Cups, Parmesan is in a Measuring Cup, and thyme is in a Measuring Spoon.

You should smell this.  Beautiful!

Fresh pasta only cooks for a minute, so this recipe comes together very quickly once the mushroom mixture is done.

While the pasta cooks, I get everything ready to pour in once it's drained.

The pasta drains in a Stainless Mesh Colander, and then everything is added back to the big, hot pot, and it's stirred together to become a delicious dish that pairs so well with beef that it's scary.

For the steak seen in the first picture: Filet Mignon with Chive-Horseradish Butter
And the broccoli: Roasted Broccoli (with Pampered Chef Rub)

 

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Call me up: (205) 585-2464

Filet Mignon with Chive-Horseradish Butter

 

Today is February 6th.  Valentine's Day is one week from tomorrow.  For a lot of people, that means a crowded restaurant, an overpriced meal, and sense that you've been herded in and out like cattle.  The solution?  Cook at home, friends!  A very nice meal can be prepared at home for a reasonable price, and you don't even have to tip at the end!  I'm all for really good food in my own house, so here's one of my favorite steak recipes.

 

Here are the other two recipes shown:

Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini

Roasted Broccoli

 

Filet Mignon with Chive-Horseradish Butter

chefjennylyn.com

 

5 tsp. butter, softened

1 tbsp. prepared horseradish

1 tbsp. minced fresh chives

4 beef tenderloin steaks

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil (for brushing steak)

 

Combine butter, horseradish, and chives in a small bowl; refrigerate 20 minutes.

 

Brush steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

 

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat.  Add steaks to pan, and cook 4-7 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  (This soooo depends on the thickness of your steak!) Scoop butter mixture onto each steak.

 

I cut the butter into small pieces using a Quikut Paring Knife, and it's softening in a 1-Cup Prep Bowl.  I'm mincing chives with my favorite knife, the 5" Santoku from the Forged Cutlery Collection.  Here's a great tip on mincing, slicing, and dicing: When you get to the end, just let it go.  Don't try to get every last bit, or you'll be much more likely to cut yourself.  For those of us who are simple home cooks, no one expects heroism.  This is how I've used great knives without falling victim to the blade.  I have no problem throwing out twenty-five cents worth of green onion tops.  As always, I'm using the Large Cutting Board for all of that beautiful surface area.

I love that the shape of the Measuring Spoons is such that they get down inside spice bottles, horseradish bottles, etc.

Let's just take a moment to admire this beautiful meat.  Scroll to the bottom for a breakdown of what this meal cost to prepare, but for now, is this not the thickest steak you've ever seen?  To be honest, I like to buy filet as an entire tenderloin, and then I cut the steaks myself, but the store was out of tenderloins, and I had to buy pre-cut.  If I'd had it my way, the total ounces here would have been six steaks, not four.  Oh, well.

One thing I love about the Large Cutting Board is that one side has wells, and the other doesn't.  Once I've finished my vegetables and non-meat items, I can flip it over for beef preparation.  Notice I said NON-MEAT items - Don't do meat and then flip... obviously.  I brushed the meat with olive oil using my Chef's Silicone Kitchen Brush (hidden by my hand), and I had my olive oil in a Prep Bowl.  Then a sprinkle of Pampered Pantry Salt and Pepper with my Bamboo Grinder Set, and I'm ready to go!

This is a great time to use the "Count Up" feature on the Clock/Timer.  When the pan is sizzling and the vent is running (Side note: Turn on the vent fan.), you don't want to be tracking how long something has cooked.

Cook on one side.  Flip.  Finish.  Boom!  I'm using the Chef's Tongs here because they're gentle with that tender, beautiful meat, and they won't melt in my hot pan.

 

It only seems right to show the steak one more time since that last picture was so smoky.  Let me break down what this meal cost to prepare at home.  This is enough for four servings of everything.

 

Beef Tenderloin: $9.99/lb.  I spent $23, but my steaks were crazy thick.

Horseradish: $1.12

Broccoli: $2.99

Pasta: $2.38

Mushrooms: $5.00

Onion: $1.00

Chicken Stock: $.89

 

Everything else was on-hand (olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, etc.), so the grand total was....

 

$36.29 for four people = $9.07 per plate.

 

*** If you order a grill pan from me, I'll pay your shipping.  Happy grilling!***

(Contact me directly for this offer at the phone or email below.)

 

Like the products you saw used?

Shop Online 24/7 at pamperedchef.biz/jennylyn

E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464