Garden Fresh: Double Herb Kale Pesto on Ravioli!

Normally this time of year my herb garden is growing like crazy and needs a really good trimming. This year, however, the herbs are slow going. I think it's got something to do with our weird weather pattern this summer. It literally alternates between raining cats and dogs and flooding to HOT AS THE SUN AND DRY AS A BONE. There's been no in between. Not at all!

I like to make a pesto every summer, but I didn't have enough herbs so I found this recipe for Kale Pesto! This pesto is mostly made from the curly kale, with a handful of basil and parsley. I only had a handful of each herb so it was meant to be.

Kale, pine nuts, garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan cheese, olive, salt and pepper all get whirled up in the blender or food processor and you're ready to go. 

This pesto would be good in eggs, or on pizza, but it is also good on pasta! I had some ravioli that was perfect for this pesto so I tossed the ravioli with a little bit of this Kale Pesto. 

The Kale Pesto does taste healthy and it is green veggie and kale-forward, but I like kale so I'm okay with that. You could thin the kale pesto with a touch of cream if you wanted to soften the kale flavor a touch.

Either way, this is delicious and somewhat healthy and a fun recipe to try! 

Double-Herb Kale Pesto

Adapted from Seriously Delish

by Jessica Merchant 

Makes 1 cup

For The Pesto: 

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups green curly kale

1/3 cup torn fresh basil

1/4 cup torn fresh parsley

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add the pine nuts and garlic to a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the kale, basil, and parsley to the processor and puree until combined and only tiny bits of green appear. Add the cheese, pulsing once more, and then with the processor on, stream in the olive oil until the pesto comes together. Scrape down the sides of the food processor when necessary. Add the salt and pepper and pulse once more. Taste and season additionally if desired. Store the pesto in a sealed container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.   

Herbalicious @ IHCC!

It's Peach Season: Heavenly Baked Peaches and Cream Oatmeal!

I'm a fan of waking up during the work week and enjoying a nice warm bowl of baked oatmeal. It kinda feels like a warm hug in a bowl and I like that it keeps well enough to enjoy all week. 

The trouble is, I always feel like I never have the ingredients. I'm always needing old-fashioned oats when I have quick oats, or I'm always needing a fruit jam I don't have on hand, or some kinda of chia seed or flaxseed I'm never gonna have or carry in my house.

I'm here to tell ya...no more! I finally found a recipe that will work for me just about all the time. How Sweet Eat's Baked Peach and Cream Oatmeal! Score! 

It calls for really basic ingredients: old-fashioned oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk, peach jam, vanilla, and one peach! I'd like to think that I could use this recipe in a versatile way, substituting any kind of fruit jam and any kind of fruit. So Baked Blueberry and Cream Oatmeal? Strawberry and Cream Oatmeal? Buy some fresh jam from your farmer's market and go nuts! Why.not? It's versatile like that! 

But, for now, PEACHES. Give me all the ripe, juicy, fresh peaches! They are my favorite! In fact, my absolute favorite is peaches with raspberries so I could totally see a Peach Melba version of this oatmeal where we add some fresh raspberries to the top with some swirls of raspberry jam. The sky really is the limit here.

You can eat your baked oatmeal as is without toppings, but why would you? Some people would top this with milk or heavy cream and then whipped cream, more peaches, and some toasted nuts. I'm going in with a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt and fresh peach slices. You really can't go wrong. 

Baked Peach and Cream Oatmeal

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Makes 6 servings

1/4 cup butter

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup peach jam or peach butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large peach, thinly sliced

for topping: milk, heavy cream, whipped cream, yogurt, toasted nuts 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the butter in an 8x8 baking dish and set it in the oven until the butter just melts. Remove the pan once melted.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, peach jam and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until everything is combined and wet. Scrape the mixture into the buttered dish and stir until most of the butter is incorporated, but leave some pockets of butter in the corners. Smooth out the top and add the peach slices. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Serve hot with a splash of heavy cream, whipped cream, yogurt, extra peaches, and/or toasted nuts.  

 Fresh From The Orchard @ IHCC!

Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo {So light and delicious}!

Listen up, folks! DO NOT SLEEP ON CHICKEN MEATBALLS! In the past few months I have made a variety of meals using ground and they have been our favorite recipes lately.

First there were the Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with Lemon Orzo which were so refreshingly light and delicious. Then there was the Buffalo Chicken Burger, which was SO GOOD if you love all things buffalo flavored. Then we made the Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Meatballs with Herby Summer Sauce and those were spicy and cheesy and very moreish! We loved all those ground chicken dishes so much we picked another one this week, Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo! 

This Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo recipe is probably our favorite of the bunch! The meatballs are light and herby with just the right touch of Parmesan. They pair so well with the creamy tomato orzo and it really is the perfect, light, flavorful summer meal. Best of all, it comes together in 30 minutes or less and is also really economical to make.

I will warn you, this recipe makes A LOT of tomato orzo, which is great because it is delicious, BUT you might want to double up on the chicken meatballs. They were so delicious that my husband and son were plucking the meatballs right out of the pan into their mouths. When the meal was over, we had plenty of tomato orzo left, but the chicken meatballs were all gone. 

Give one of these delicious chicken meals a try this summer! You really can't go wrong. 

Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Orzo

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

salt and pepper, to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, basil, and chives

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Tomato Orzo

3 tablespoons butter

16 ounces orzo

3 tablespoons tomato paste

32 ounces chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

fresh basil, for topping

For The Chicken Meatballs: Place the chicken in a large bowl. Season all over with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, parmesan, breadcrumbs and herbs. Mix gently until just combined. Roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip gently and brown the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Shake the pan, tossing the meatballs around. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the internal temperature has reach 165R.

For The Tomato Orzo: While the meatballs are cooking, make the orzo. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the orzo and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, so the orzo toasts. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the stock along with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the lid and stir in the parmesan. Taste and season more if needed. Serve immediately with the chicken meatballs. Add fresh basil and more parmesan for topping. 

With Tomatoes @ IHCC!
 

Bang Bang Salmon Bowls

We love Bang Bang Shrimp so we wanted to try out some Bang Bang Salmon Bowls!

This is a perfect summer meal. Light, flavorful, and refreshing. Make up some jasmine rice, slice up some cucumber, shred some carrot. 

Then make up the delicious Bang Bang Sauce: mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar. Gosh is that sauce good!

The chunks of salmon get tossed in a simple seasoning blend of garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper before getting doused in the Bang Bang Sauce.

We loved this and will be eating it on repeat all summer long! I'd like to try a shrimp version and maybe even a chicken version.

Bang Bang Salmon Bowls

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

For The Salmon: 

2 pounds salmon, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced cucumbers, for serving

1 large carrot, finely grated, for serving

jasmine rice, cooked and ready for serving

For the Bang Bang Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce

2 teaspoons Sriracha

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon rice vinegar 

For the Salmon: Cut the salmon into 1 inch chunks. Season all over with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. making sure all sides are seasoned. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon pieces in a single layer (you may have to do this in a double batch so they all fit). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply golden brown. Flip each piece of salmon and cook on the other side until golden. At this point, the salmon should be done but you can check by cutting into a piece or two. Transfer the salmon to a large plate and repeat with the remaining salmon if needed. Cover the salmon all over with green onions, sprinkling a few more into the bang bang sauce.

To Make the Bang Bang Sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients until creamy and smooth and combined,. This stays great in the fridge for a few days.

To Assemble the Bowls: Spoon some rice on the bottom. Top with the cucumbers, carrots, salmon. Drizzle the Bang Bang Sauce over the ingredients and top with more green onions, if desired. Enjoy! 

Healthy Bowls @ IHCC!
 

photo credit

How Sweet Eats Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Meatballs with Herby Summer Sauce {Fresh & Delicious}!!

If you're looking for a nice summer meal that is full on flavor, but light on calories, then look no further! These Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Meatballs are just the thing. 

Look at those golden brown savory and succulent flavor bombs! Ground chicken really comes to life with jalapeno, cheddar, and garlic added in for good measure. The spicy heat of the jalapeno, the delicious flavor of the garlic, the cheddar cheese oozing out. Who doesn't want to dunk one of those meatballs into a zingy zippy refreshing summer herby sauce made from yogurt, mayo, cilantro, and green onion? It's a refreshingly delicious flavor bom that will keep you going back for more! 

 

Jalapeno Cheddar Meatballs with Herby Summer Sauce

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

salt and pepper, to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley or chives

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Herby Summer Sauce

1/2 cup yogurt

2 tablespoons mayo

1/2 lemon, juice freshly squeezed

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

For The Meatballs: Place the chicken in a large bowl. Season all over with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, peppers, cheddar, breadcrumbs and herbs. Mix gently until just combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs or use a cookie scooper. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip gently and brown the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Shake the pan, tossing the meatballs around. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the internal temperature has reached 165F. Serve the meatballs with the herby summer sauce! You can also serve them over rice, grain, or even a salad.

For The Herby Summer Sauce: Place all the sauce ingredients in the blender and puree until creamy and smooth. This stays great in the fridge for a few days.

 Light & Lively @ IHCC!

15 Minute Meal: {Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi}

Sometimes summer days go by in a total blur. Busier and faster than any work day. In the past week we've had 89,700 things to do. I need a quick 15 minute recipe.

But I need a delicious 15 minute recipe that hopefully uses some of my fresh herbs from the garden because my parsley and basil and chives are going nuts! Maybe because we've had SO MUCH RAIN! Holy cow, I've never seen so much rain in my life as we've got in Kentucky this spring. Wow1

So, let's talk about a 15 minute recipe. We want it to be delicious and comforting because...if you don't have time to cook  then you are too busy for comfort. So we need comfort food. 

Pasta, but let's make it a little healthier and use up some cauliflower gnocchi. I love cauliflower gnocchi and keep it in stock from Trader Joe's, but if you don't like cauliflower gnocchi, you can use regular gnocchi. It will be just fine. 

Brown the gnocchi in butter on both sides in a skillet. Then add in heavy cream, the zest of 2 lemons, and Parmesan cheese. The sauce will coat the gnocchi quickly. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Taste to adjust seasoning and serve straight away!

You will have a rather indulgent very comforting hug in a bowl in no time flat and clean up is also easy. We really loved this especially with freshness of the lemon zest and herbs. It is a perfect summer meal when you're on the go and in a hurry. Give it a try! 

 

Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 1 to 2 

12 ounces cauliflower gnocchi, frozen or fresh/thawed

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup cream

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

2 lemons, zest freshly grated

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh herbs: like basil and/or parsley for topping

Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add in the cauliflower gnocchi. It can be frozen or thawed1 cook the gnocchi for 2 to 3 minutes, without tossing, until it gets golden brown on one side. Flip an cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. You want it golden brown on both sides and by that point, it should be cooked and warmed through.

Pour in the heavy cream, the lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan. taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. The gnocchi will soak up a bit of the ream, but it still adds a wonderful richness and texture to the dish. Top with fresh herbs and serve, with more Parmesan for topping. 

15 Minute Meals @ IHCC!

 

The Best Buffalo Chicken Burgers!

I love anything with a Buffalo Chicken flavor profile. Buffalo chicken itself, Buffalo chicken wraps, Buffalo chicken pizza, Buffalo chicken dip, and so I knew that I would love a Buffalo Chicken Burger!

Let's talk about this.

We start with a base of ground chicken, which is tender and lighter than a traditional ground beef burger. To the ground chicken we're going to add: bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, buffalo wing sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. We going to form 4 thicker patties or 6 thin patties. You decide.

Cook the patties on one side for 5 minutes, flip, top with cheese and cook the other side for 5-6 minutes. Toast some lovely brioche buns. Top the buns with a Buffalo Chicken Burger, a drizzle of Buffalo Sauce, some Ranch or Blue Cheese, and a good amount of lettuce. Serve the burger with carrot and celery sticks with more Ranch or serve it with some potato chips like I did here. This Buffalo Chicken Burger is really delicious! My burger was a little sloppy, which I love, and just oozing with Buffalo Sauce and Ranch. I loved the flavor profile with the light texture of the ground chicken. I would happily make these again and encourage any Buffalo Chicken lover to give these burgers a go!

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Makes 4 to 6 burgers

1 pound ground chicken breast

3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce, plus more for drizzling

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

ranch dressing + blue cheese dressing + buffalo wing sauce for topping, or whatever you'd like

4 to 6 buns

Preheat a grill or nonstick skillet. In a large bowl combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, seasoning, Parmesan and buffalo wing sauce. Mix until just combined. Form into patties. Grill or pan-fry patties until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes, place the cheddar cheese on top of each burger. Place burgers on the buns and top with a drizzle of ranch and buffalo wing dressing. Top with lettuce. Serve with carrots, celery, and extra ranch for dipping. 

Fun With Flavor @ IHCC!

Attention All Pickle Lovers: Hot Dogs with Pickle Slaw! {You Need It At Your Next Cookout}!

If you want to level up your next cookout, whip up a batch of this Pickle Slaw and you'll have all the pickle lovers swooning! Why stop at plain ol' relish when you can whip up a batch of pickle slaw with relish and cabbage for double the crunch!

It's really easy as pie. What a minute. Pie isn't really easy, but this pickle slaw is! You just need a couple cups of very thinly sliced green cabbage. Put it in a bowl and add fresh chopped dill, a couple tablespoons of sweet relish, a couple tablespoons of dill relish, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dill pickle juice, some honey, and finally some salt and pepper to taste. Mix up this zingy fresh slaw and let the flavors meld for about an hour, or as long as you can.

Grill up some hot dogs, put them in a nice soft buttery brioche bun, and dress with pickle slaw, ketchup, and mustard. The pickle slaw is somewhat mild in flavor, adding some zip but not a punch. The pickle slaw lends a freshness to the hot dog that is real nice, light, and summery! We really loved the pickle slaw and could see adding it to BBQ sandwiches, burgers, steak, chicken.  The sky really is the limit with this pickle slaw! It's even good on it's own.

 If you're a pickle lover, or you know a pickle lover, give it a try this season!

Pickle Slaw

Adapted from How Sweet Eats blog

Yields 2.5 cups

 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh chopped dill

3 tablespoons sweet relish

2 tablespoons dill relish

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dill pickle juice

1 teaspoon honey

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and dill with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Whisk together the relishes, olive oil, vinegar, pickle juice and honey. Pour over the cabbage and toss well to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. This stays great in the fridge for a day - you can also make it a fewh ours ahead of time and refrigerate, then bring it out for a party.

NOTE: Pickle slaw would be great for any BBQ or cookout! It's incredible on hot dogs and burgers, pulled chicken or pork, tacos, steak, and sky is the limit!

For The Picnic @ IHCC!
 

 

How Sweet Eats Korean Beef Bowls

I started this blog when my youngest child was about 18 months old. He is now 18 years old and graduating high school in a matter of days.

There are quite simply 87,900 things to do each and every day to prepare for this graduation. In a way, this is a good thing because we are so busy "doing" we don't have time to think. The last band concert was followed by Prom; Senior Skip Day; Senior Awards Night; the Throwback Field Trip to their elementary and middle schools; not one, not two, but THREE graduation practices, Senior Sunset Cookout; Senior Breakfast, the Senior Parade through town; 70 other things I'm forgetting (like ordering the Senior Yard Sign, Filling out Graduation Announcements, Buying All the Clothes, Ordering the Cake); and finally Graduation itself. A mom can't even breathe. I'm serious. And if she does breathe that means she's crying.

After 25 years of parenting the child raising has come to an end. It's a lot to have on your mind.

The kitchen continues to be my saving grace. I just don't have the time to get lost in big cooking projects, so I find a 30 minute recipe like these Korean Beef Bowls. This can be ready in the time it takes to make some rice.

Get the rice started, make the sauce for the steak, cut up some fresh veggies, saute the steak real quick, assemble. It's a perfect dish for this time of year when you want something lighter but satisfying. It's fresh and crisp with lots of flavor and it certainly is pretty. A really good weeknight meal.

A new season is almost here. Summer. We will see what it brings.

Korean Beef Bowls

Adapted from A Pretty Dish

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2

1 pound sirloin beef, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1-1/2 cups cooked jasmine rice

2 large carrots, peeled and spiralized*

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds*

*Note: If you don't have a spiralizer you can use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons of carrots, curl them around your finger and place in ice water to hold their shape. Also, I have a seed-free diet so I garnished with the sliced green onions, cucumber, and red pepper flakes.

Toss the beef with the flour. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. 

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Add the beef and cook for 1 minute, searing until golden brown. Turn the beef pieces and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the sauce. Cook, tossing occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the beef and any extra sauce in a bowl.

To assemble the bowls, divide the rice and carrots between 2 bowls. Top with the beef, then add the scallion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. If desired, you can add another drizzle of toasted sesame oil. 

30 Minute Meals @ I Heart Cooking Clubs
 

 

For Cinco de Mayo: How Sweet Eats Crispy Cheesy Breakfast Tacos with Carnitas {So good and easy}!

Doesn't everyone want to wake up to a breakfast taco crisped up with crunchy fried cheese?

This looks like it takes a lot of effort and it does not! All you need to do is scramble some eggs. Make a quick pico de gallo and chunk up some avocado. Or, make this however you wish. Buy some pico and guacamole if you want to make things easier on yourself.

After you scramble your eggs, all you need to do is put some grated cheese in your skillet and let it start melting before topping it with a flour tortilla, fill the tortilla with more cheese, scrambled egg, any kind of meat or veggie. Like I said, make it whatever you want!

Let the cheese underneath cook and crisp and let the insides cook, warm through, and melt. Then fold the taco in half, crisp up both sides (it helps you have a really good pan that is either cast iron or nonstick), and serve! Top with whatever toppings float your boat. 

We had carnitas the night before, so I added some carnitas to my scrambled eggs and I already had homemade pico de gallo, cilantro, red onion, and guacamole on hand for topping.

This makes for a delightful weekend breakfast and one that I will make again and again! 

Crispy Cheesy Breakfast Tacos

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2-4, depending

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 avocado, cubed

1 tablespoons butter

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon milk or cream

salt and pepper, to taste

3 green onions, thinly sliced

8 small (4-inch) flour tortillas

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside - don't add the avocado until right before serving.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-ow heat. Whisk together the eggs, cream and a big pinch of salt and pepper until combined. Whisk in the green onions. Swirl the melted butter around the pan and pour the eggs in the skillet. Add carnitas, salsa, or whatever you desire. Push gently with a spatula often, until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Transfer to a bowl.

Keep the same skillet over medium heat. To make the tacos, sprinkle cheddar in the skillet. You want enough cheddar to essentially cover the outside circumference of your tortilla. The cheese should start to melt right away. Place your tortilla directly on top of the cheese.  Add another bit of cheese to the inside of the tortilla. Top with scrambled egg mixture. Let the tortilla cook until the cheese is golden and getting crispy on the outside edges. Fold the tortilla in half and make sure each side of the tortilla is golden and crispy cheesy goodness!

Put the taco on a serving plate and garnish with pico de gallo, onions, cilantro, avocado or guacamole.  

April IHCC Potluck!
 

How Sweet Eats Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with Lemon Orzo

 This is a spring dinner if there ever was one! Juicy and flavorful chicken meatballs with zucchini, garlic, Parmesan, and fresh herbs over top a buttery and lemony orzo. It is light, satisfying and delicious without weighing you down. 

The meatballs are sauteed in olive oil over medium heat until golden brown and then finished in the oven. While the meatballs are in the oven you can boil the orzo and have this all on the table in about 30 minutes.

I love quick weeknight meals that are light and fresh and full of spring and summer flavors. We are in the home stretch of the school year. My baby is a senior and he only has about 22 days of school left and then he's graduating!

Chicken Zucchini Meatballs with Lemon Orzo 

Adapted from Easy Everyday

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

 Meatballs:

1 pound ground chicken (93% lean)

1 cup grated zucchini

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons dried chives

salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon Orzo:

1/2 pound orzo

3 tablespoons buter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

To Make The Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, zucchini, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan,  parsley, chives, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the meatballs until combined, being careful not to overmix. Form the mixture into meatballs that are roughly 1 inch in size. Heat the olive oil in a oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove the skillet and serve the meatballs over the lemon orzo. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

To Make The Lemon Orzo: Boil 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan and cook your orzo to package directions. Once al dente, drain pain, add butter to saucepan, lemon zest and lemon juice and stir the orzo back in. Serve with the meatballs and sprinkle with fresh parsley. 

 Spring Fever @ IHCC!

How Sweet Eats Cheesy Beef Orzo

This is one of those quick weeknight dishes that is like a hug in a bowl. Comfort food that you eat with a spoon.

A one pot weeknight dish that starts by cooking the ground beef, the removing it before toasting the orzo in butter with garlic and seasonings. The the orzo cooks in a mix of stock and marinara before adding the beef back in, followed by heaps of cheese and fresh herbs.

I was out of fresh herbs so I opted to use dried herbs. I also added in some chopped spinach to make this a more complete meal with veggies. I think this recipe lends itself well to adding different veggies, herbs, and cheeses. A delicious and easy weeknight delight! 

Cheesy Beef Orzo

Adapted from Make It In A Flash

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces uncooked orzo

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup marinara sauce

1 cup grated mozzarella or Italian blend cheeses

Parmesan cheese, for topping

crushed red pepper, for topping

fresh basil, for topping

Heat a large Dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking ti apart with a meat chopper or wooden spoon. Remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate.

Melt the butter in the pan. Stir in the orzo and garlic with the dried basil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the orzo for a few minutes, stirring often, to toast it.

Pour in 1-1/2 cups of the stock and the marinara sauce. Add the beef back in. Stir well. Cover and simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring once or twice so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom, until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the skillet and stir the orzo. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of stock. Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Top with Parmesan, fresh basil, and crushed red pepper before serving. 

Weeknight Pasta @ IHCC!