Recipe to Reality: Three Cheese Chicken Sausage and Orzo

I'm so glad that Candee has had some time to post and so sorry that I have been neglecting the blogosphere world! Between trying to close on a house and Hurricane Sandy, things have been less than normal here. I've still been cooking, but have all my pictures saved on a card until now when I can finally post :)

I have been really into cooking fast meals lately since our day-to-day life has been a little hectic!

I had a coupon for Johnsonville Fully Cooked Dinner Sausages, and went through some recipes on their website to see if anything struck my fancy.

I found a recipe for Three Cheese Italian Sausage with Orzo and Vegetables and went from there.

Here's What You'll Need!

• 1 small onion, chipped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 3/4 of a cup of orzo (pasta)
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 package of Johnsonville Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage

Put it All Together! 

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic to the pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Slice sausage into pieces about 1/2 of an inch thick.

3. Add orzo to the pan with the onion and garlic, for about 4 minutes or until the orzo turns slightly brown.

4. Then add the chicken broth, chicken sausage and Italian seasoning. Mix ingredients until combined and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

5. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  

This was a quick and easy weeknight dinner that was packed full of flavor! Enjoy it! 

Recipe to Reality: Pork Tacos with Guacamole

I will admit that this was my first time cooking pork, but I'm positive that it was the most delicious and simplest recipe I have ever made!

I adapted this one from Food & Wine Fast magazine, and the flavor of the pork was simply incredible.

I'm telling you, spice up Taco Tuesday with this one! (nudge nudge Joe)

Serves 4
Time: 15 mins

Here's What You'll Need!

• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbs. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of allspice
• 1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 tbs. white vinegar
• A handful of minced cilantro
• Fixings! You could use salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, etc. I used Mexican cheese blend and guac.

Put it All Together! 

1) In a large bowl, mix the chili powder, salt, Italian seasonings, cumin, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice.

2) Add the pork, onion, vinegar, and cilantro.

3) Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the pork and stir fry over medium high heat until browned outside and just cooked through.

(For my guac, I mashed 2 Hass Avocados, some onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, and called it a day. Delish! If you haven't yet, check out my post on Frontera's Guacamole Mix which is also delicious)

4) Assemble and DIG IN!

Like I said before, these tacos were incredible. I may have to make them once a week.

Also, here is my adorable cat, Ollie, who also loves tacos.

No, I do not feed him tacos!

Stay Savory,

Recipe to Reality: Zesty Shrimp with Quinoa

I'm constantly on a mission to improve my husband's opinion on seafood.

While he still won't go near a filet of fish (of any kind) I'm working on the shrimp front!

I found this shrimp recipe from Greatist.com. Since my first experience with quinoa went so swimmingly, I decided to make it again with this Asian-inspired dish.

Serves: 3

Here's What You'll Need! (Adapted from Greatist.com)

• 1 1/2 cups of raw, frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 balsamic vinegar
• 4-5 dashes of hot sauce (optional)

Put it All Together!

1) Start by making the sauce. Combine the the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, pepper, garlic, and hot sauce in a medium sized bowl.

2) Make the quinoa according to directions on package. Or view my instructions from my Monster Taco Salad with Chimichurri Quinoa.

3) While quinoa is cooking, heat 1 tbs. of oil (I used sesame) in a skillet and add shrimp and onions.

4) When the shrimp starts to turn pink, add the sauce and continue cooking until the shrimp are completely cooked through (completely pink and opaque). 

5) To serve, make a bed of quinoa and add the shrimp on top! Enjoy!

I would make a few changes the next time I prepare this, one being to use less soy sauce. I followed the recipe and used 1/2 cup of soy and it was way too salty for me and my husband.

Also, the recipe says to add the quinoa straight into the shrimp/sauce mixture (which I did) and the quinoa totally soaked up all that salty sauce... I would prefer to serve them separately next time.

The great thing about this meal was that I had all the ingredients in my house already!

I think this dish could be really successful with a few changes that I included in my recipe! It was quick, easy, and full of protein! 

Stay Savory,

Recipe to Reality: Pillsbury Biscuit Pizzas

After a long work week, Friday evening screams, "TAKE OUT!" but instead I tried out this super easy and fast Pillsbury Biscuit Pizza recipe.

Here's What You'll Need! (Adapted from Pillsbury.com)

• 1 can of Grands Homestyle Biscuits
• Pizza sauce (I used premade, but feel free to make your own)
• Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
• Turkey pepperoni

Put it All Together!

1) Open your biscuits and roll out / flatten the biscuits.

2) Spoon your designated amount of sauce on each biscuit.

3) Add cheese and toppings of your choice. I also like to season with garlic powder and oregano.

4) Bake for at least 15 minutes until bottoms are golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

I made the mistake of underbaking mine and the crusts were not fully cooked...we had to put them back in for a bit ;)

Although these were super fast, I think I prefer the taste of regular pizza dough more. 

These would be really fun to make with kids though!!

Stay Savory,

Sweet and Savory Originals: Strawberry Lemonade Pops

Good morning sweethearts! Today I'm introducing our new series Sweet and Savory Originals! Unlike Recipe to Reality, in this series we will be sharing delectable treats as well as meals that have came straight out of our heads and onto your plate! Today's sweet and tangy creations are strawberry lemonade pops! Inspired by McCafe's citrusy Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, these shivery delights are sure become a staple at family BBQ's. Plus, they take only TWO ingredients to make and some simple materials you can find just about anywhere for pennies!

You will need:

Strawberries (the amount depends on the size of the ice pop mold you have on hand)

Lemonade (as much as will fill the mold)

Ice pop mold

Knife

Cutting Board

Ready to go!

I purchased my mold at Christmas Tree Shops

1: After the strawberries have been washed, start cutting into circles. The amount that you will cut depends on the size of your molds, but for my rectangular one it took about a strawberry per pop, or about four medium slices.
2: Place half of desired amount of strawberries into the molds.
3: Pour lemonade into the molds. This tangy citrus drink can be freshly squeezed or from a 'just add water' packet, depending on your personal preference.
4: Place the remaining strawberries into the ice pops. Note: when you poured in the lemonade you may have notices your first strawberries floated
to the top. Now is the time to place all strawberries how you would like them as they probably will not float all over the place- this is because of the volume of strawberries in the mold.

 5: Place molds in freezer overnight or for about 12 hours.For an explanation on taking them out of their molds to be enjoyed please watch the video below.

And wa-la! These delectable frozen treats were super simple and easy to make- and they're versatile too! Enjoy them for breakfast, an after workout snack, or as a healthy dessert! The flavor of the lemonade is definitely there as well as a hint of strawberry. These ice pops are no doubt visually appealing as well-because the lemonade is translucent, it is easy to see the strawberry slices throughout. This tasty snack looks like it could have came out of Food Network Magazine! It is also perfect for any girly girl as well. The fruits emitted a red juice, turning the lemonade pink!

Stay sweet, Candee