#BookClubCookbookCC: Lemon Chicken and Orzo

So.
It's the last month of the #BookClubCookbookCC project!  I've so enjoyed working with the other bloggers and especially Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla who spearheaded this project!  This month, Camilla hosted, and she invited us to make Greek food and read Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres.

Once again, I haven't read the book.  For whatever reason, there's been a run on the copy at my local library.  I am currently third on the waiting list.  I was fifth when I went to reserve the book.  But I can make Greek inspired food.  We love Greek food.
I'm always looking for new 1 pot meals that go together fast and are delicious.  This one fits the bill.  J and I loved it.  It also comes from one of my favourite sources for recipes, Budget Bytes.  With lemon and feta cheese, it's reminiscent of all the great flavours of Greek food.
I present to you now from Budget Bytes Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo:

Finally It's Spring! (Pasta)

So.
Have I mentioned how enamoured I am with PC Points?  Probably not.  I know I mentioned them on Facebook one night, and heard from friends who have saved them up as well.  J and I managed to save over $200 this past year in points.  We spent them once at the beginning of the summer to buy our supplies for a big summer kickoff BBQ.  The second time was the week before Christmas; where we stocked the larder with expensive things we don't buy very often as treats for the holidays.
One of the recipes I planned over the Christmas holiday (and I'm finally getting around to sharing) was what we had for brunch Christmas morning.
For Christmas this past year, J and I went to family Christmas with my dad's family Christmas Day, stayed overnight at my mom's, and then brought Mom back with us to the mountain.  We had our actual Christmas on the 27th, with presents and brunch and a big fancy dinner.  It's the advantage to no kids - you can open the presents any day you choose.
When I got my copy of the 2015 Milk calendar this year, I flipped through looking for things that I might like to make.  This was one of the things that caught my eye, which is weird because it has some things in it that I don't make or cook with very often.
I don't buy smoked salmon very often.  Frankly, I think this is the first time I've ever bought it.  My comment was that in this dish it almost tasted like bacon, which would be a good, cheaper option.  I also had the chance to try my hand at making poached eggs, something I'd never done before.  It was a lovely dish - especially in the winter when you're waiting for Spring.  Or now...when it's Spring...and you're waiting for...Spring.
I present to you now from the 2015 Milk Calendar Finally it's Spring Pasta:

Souper Sunday: Creamy Tomato Tortellini

So.
Last week, I blogged a soup that contained 9 oz of cheese tortellini.  When I took my package out of the freezer, I discovered that 1/3 of the Costco tripack I was using was about 18 oz.  That meant I needed to make not one, but two tortellini soups to use up the package.  No matter.  We love soup around these parts.
Soup is an incredibly versatile meal.  When you make your own, it can be hearty enough to stand on its own as the entree, and can include all of your favourite food groups (and maybe a few of your not-so-favourite ones).  If you're me, you can also use it to sneak a meatless meal past your husband.
This soup isn't quite as hearty as last week's, but it's still tasty, and surprisingly quick to throw together.  Despite not having been to the grocery store, I managed to pull everything I needed out of my pantry, fridge and freezer.  Don't skimp on the higher fat dairy...this would be thin without it.  Or try replacing some with evaporated milk.  Mouth-feel is important.
I present to you now Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup:

Souper Sunday: Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup

So.
My mom gave me a new soup recipe book for Christmas.  It's a great thing, seeing as we have soup here a lot on Sundays.  Soup is easy, makes a lot, and often tastes even better as leftovers.  With this one, it also used up a bunch of vegetables that I'd bought for other things that were lurking in the crisper.  Win-win, as far as I'm concerned.
This past week has been cold.  Bone-chilling, truth be known.  My new position has me standing outside the school meeting the 9 buses that come in each morning and supervising the students that are headed for the middle school campus (there are too many students for the building, and they're in the process of renovating/constructing a new school).  This week was not the week to start bus duty, IMHO.  But dressing for the weather (I have worn all of my wool socks at some point this week), and knowing that there was a hot lunch waiting for me later helps.
While reading about different soups I was interested in trying, I found one that intrigued J using spinach, potatoes, and cheese tortellini.  When I went back and looked through the book for that particular recipe, I came up with 2 that were somewhat similar and yet both contained things that I didn't like or didn't want to buy.  This soup was born out of the mashup of those 2 recipes.
I present to you now, inspired by my new Taste of Home Soups Cookbook, Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup:

Quick Dinner: Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan

So.
I seem to make a lot of meals where J turns at the end of them (or after the first mouthful) and says, "You're going to make this again, right?"  I dutifully promise that I will, and then move on to the next recipe that I promise I'll make again.
This recipe is different.  I want this again.  Soon.
As always with recipes from Budget Bytes, there's tons of flavour and it uses things that are found in my pantry on a regular basis.  While I enjoy making things that involve off beat things, it's nice to have somewhere to turn for recipes that I can make at the end of the week when I haven't been to the store in a while.
I buy the big packages of bacon here, and freeze the strips individually on waxed paper in a gallon ziploc.  I would suggest this to anyone who knows that buying a package of bacon is a mistake because it will go bad before you use it, or you know that you'll be forced to eat way too much bacon in the name of "using it up".  I used to be able to buy bacon by the slice at the butcher counter, and that's a great way to go too - except my butcher doesn't seem to be stocking it at the moment.  So, freeze and use as needed is the way to go.
Bacon, pasta and cheese in a bowl.  How could it be bad?  With some spinach to make it healthy.  Yup.  Let's call this health food.
I present to you now Budget Bytes' Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan:

Achieving Fangirl Status: Monterrey Chicken Skillet

So.
According to Urban Dictionary, a fangirl is:

 "A rabid breed of human female who is obesessed with either a fictional character or an actor. Similar to the breed of fanboy. Fangirls congregate at anime conventions and livejournal. Have been known to glomp, grope, and tackle when encountering said obesessions."Hugh Jackman: 'ello. Fangirl: SQUEEEEEE! *immediately attaches to Jackman's leg* Jackman: Security!

I'm getting close to the point where I am a total fangirl of Beth and her website, Budget Bytes.  I have to admit I'm not planning to grope her, though...I'm making no guarantees about attaching myself to her leg.  How about just sit in her kitchen and love her process?  Maybe question her a lot about costing out recipes, and how she manages to get some things so cheaply?  Yeah, that doesn't sound obsessive.  
I discovered Budget Bytes not long after joining Pinterest.  I read the "Top 20 for 2012" post, and started trying recipes:  Chicken Meatball Teriyaki Bowls, Black Bean Quesadillas, and beans in the crockpot.  Anything I've made has worked, has been full of flavour, and I've been told that I'm more than welcome to make it again.  What's not to love?
When I saw this recipe on her website, I was a little skeptical about the combination of flavours.  I don't use BBQ sauce a whole lot, and I wasn't sure about the sweet with everything else.  Neither was J.  He asked if maybe I thought I should leave the sauce out.  But I decided to stick with the process.  I mean, I hadn't been steered wrong before.  
Just as well.  The BBQ sauce was a nice touch.  
I present to you now Budget Bytes' Monterrey Chicken Skillet:

Soup for Sunday: Chicken Parmesan Soup

So.
You know what the problem is with today's public school system?  They are germ factories.  We've been back 4 days, and I'm already sick.  I sat on the couch watching football last night with J, and realized that my throat was getting sore.  I'm now stuffed up and grumbling.  A good patient, I am not.
Cold or no, I'm still responsible for making sure we eat.  Thankfully, I'd already put this soup on the menu for Sunday so that I would have leftovers.  It's a snap to put together, and then cooks itself while you do things; which in my case would be lie on the couch, blog and generally be pathetic.
I love chicken parmesan, but never make it because of the work involved.  Here are all the flavours with little of the pesky work.
Even better, the leftovers are delicious the next day for lunch.
I present to you now a Foxes Love Lemons' Chicken Parmesan Soup:

Freezer Friendly: Salisbury Steak Meatballs

So.
You know what I'm finding with the things that I've been making for my freezer?  They all smell amazing.  This recipe is no exception.  I made this one morning this week, when I had a meeting in the afternoon, and I figured that if this was freezer-friendly, I could make this, refrigerate, and reheat for dinner.  By the time I finished making this, I was sorry that it wasn't for lunch.  It smelled amazing.
As I've said before, J loves meatloaf.  He's already requested that I make it "sometime this fall".  I'm not huge on it, but will make it from time to time, eat it the first night, and then leave it for J to eat for lunch for a couple of days.  He wanted to know today if maybe next time I could make a meatloaf recipe for the meatballs.  Frankly, this is essentially a meatloaf recipe sans Onion Soup Mix.  That would be okay too.
And the reason I'm not fond of meatloaf after night one?  It never reheats well, and I always get the cold spot.  Ew.  Reheated meatballs in gravy?  Much less likely to happen.  Huzzah.
I always enjoy reading the Pioneer Woman, but I've never really made her recipes before.  This was easy and delicious.  My meatballs didn't look quite so great as hers - but that wouldn't affect the taste.  Or, you know, I think mine were as good as how the picture probably tasted.  If the food was screaming hot.
I present to you now the Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak Meatballs:

Freezer Friendly: Baked Spaghetti

So.
It's been nice to have some unseasonable weather the past couple of weeks.  It's not good pool weather, but we've been out in the hot tub in the evening, and I seem to be making a variety of heavier foods that I can freeze.  Heavier food and hot weather don't really mix.
On the nights in between my freezer forays, I've been grilling and making things that are a little lighter.  But this week, the push is on before I return to work full time.  Bring on the unseasonably cold!  Then warm up on Friday for the BBQ Saturday!  One day, I will be able to control the weather, even if it's not today.
J and I both like spaghetti, and I've talked about making a batch of sauce for the freezer.  It's one of my go-to desperation meals around here...I always have pasta and a bottle or 2 of sauce in the house.  We also buy garlic bread at Costco so it's hiding in the freezer when we want some too.  When I got the Taste of Home freezer magazine, this recipe caught my eye because it looked like it made a ton and was so easy looking.  I also figured I could make it in 8" pans instead of a 9x13".  One to eat now, one to save in the freezer for a busy night.
I present to you now from Betty Rabe of Mahtomedi, MN via Taste of Home Baked Spaghetti:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

So.
When I told J today that dinner would be meatless, he got really quiet.  My husband is a meat eater, if nothing else. He asked me if we'd need something else to go with the pasta, and I told him no.  With garlic bread and a salad, this was a nice, quick dinner.
I didn't do exactly what the recipe said.  I couldn't find sundried tomatoes that weren't in oil, so I started improvising.  I also halved the recipe to serve 2.  I don't regret my decisions.  We both enjoyed dinner...and were satisfied.  Go figure.
I present to you now from the June 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato Pasta:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts

So.
I love being home for the summer.  I'm not always as motivated as I should be, but that's beside the point.  The long and the short of it is that I enjoy spending time in the house, cooking and slowly getting done the large number of projects around here that there never seems to be time to complete.
One of the things about being home for the summer is that I need to make lunches as well as dinners. While J believes that there should be meat at every meal, I am always on the lookout for recipes that use less meat or are meatless because I know that our consumption is probably higher than it should be.
When looking back through the issues of Everyday Food, one of the things I found were dinner salads that I had earmarked for making that were meat free.  This salad here is a case in point.  The protein is from the peanut butter and chopped nuts that are sprinkled over the salad.  Serving it warm the first day also makes it seem more of a meal and less of a side dish.
While I can't make this during the school year and take it to work because of allergies, it was a nice lunch for a couple of days this month.
I present to you now from the May 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts:

Secret Recipe Club: Dreamy Baked Ziti

(I have actually made 2 recipes for the Secret Recipe Club Reveal this month!  Make sure you scroll down and visit both recipes!!!  They were delicious!)

So.
Whenever J and I go to Olive Garden, I order the 5 Cheese Ziti.  When I order something else, I wish I ordered the 5 Cheese Ziti.  After doing this a couple of times, I learned and have a regular order.  While I have looked at copycat recipes for this amazing dish, I've never found anything that has made me sit up and want to try it.  The garlic, the cheese...how could I replicate the sauce?  Until now.  I finally found one to try.
This month for Group A's reveal for the Secret Recipe Club, I was given the blog, Cheese with Noodles.  Anna lives in Alaska with her husband, her bunnies and her cats.  Like me, she doesn't take the beautiful pictures that I aspire to...nor does she photo every recipe.  She does say, however, that the recipes need to be amazing to make it onto her blog.  Amazing food?  Count me in!
This ziti recipe looked easy, made a ton, and had lots of garlic.  Plus, with the cream in the sauce, perhaps it would be like that which I love from Olive Garden.  Information that could prove to be very dangerous in the wrong hands, which in this case would be mine.
I present to you now Cheese with Noodles' Dreamy Baked Ziti:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Spaghetti Carbonara

So.
When I lived in France, I had a couple of host mothers who would make Spaghetti Carbonara on a Saturday night for those who were around and looking for something quick.  I always loved the bacon and cheese in the sauce, but I could never figure out once I started cooking for myself how to get the sauce that they would make. 
I think part of my problem was that I was going from memory, which can be a hazy thing.  I knew there were eggs, but how to cook so that there wasn't just scrambled egg clinging to the pasta?  I also couldn't decide beyond bacon and cheese what needed to be added.
Enter a second look at the March 2006 Everyday Food.  While flipping through the Weekly Menu article, I found a familiar looking comfort food from my time in France.  When I told J what I was making, and explained what Spaghetti Carbonara was, I was met with tolerant skepticism.  I don't think J truly understood the magnitude of a dish with such simple ingredients that could just make you happy.
I was told, however, at the completion of this dish that I could make it again when I wanted.  High praise indeed.
I present to you now from the March 2006 edition of Everyday Food, Spaghetti Carbonara:

So Yummy: Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti

So.
During the March Break, J and I made a day trip.  We went to Buffalo to do a little shopping and eating.  While probably not the most exciting place in the world, I at least got to say that I went to a foreign country on my vacation.  The best part of the trip was, of course, the food.
J and I made our first trip to the Anchor Bar, birthplace of the Buffalo Chicken Wing.  Over a couple of orders of fresh wings and fries, we sat at the bar and watched Michigan play in the B1G Ten basketball tournament.  We both enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and want to go back.  I've been told the pizza is really good, but chances are I'll have the wings.
I was cruising Pinterest the other day, and saw this pin that my sister in law had pinned.  Upon reading the title to J, he was intrigued.  Obviously, we needed to try it.  Needed to.  My forays into Buffalo chicken in the past here at home have all been very successful  around these parts.  Things that involve carbs, cheese and chicken can't be wrong - in wonton, dip, cupcake, or in this case pasta form.
While I'd probably like the chicken shredded next time, the flavour in this was delicious.  Something new to add to the dinner rotation.  I present to you now Plain Chicken's Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Tomato-Sausage Lasagna

So.
When I was little, my mother made lasagna with a sauce that I didn't like:  it had "sticks" in it (that were also known as rosemary), green peppers, and a can of mushrooms. I can remember having it when company came for dinner and I would pick it apart, layer by layer, to remove the offensive items.  Lasagna wasn't one of my favourites.
When I was in about Grade 7, my mother found a new recipe for lasagna that did not contain any of the above items, but had a sauce made from scratch that was labour intensive but delicious.  We didn't have lasagna all that often because of the work involved in making the dish.
As an adult, I make lasagna a couple of times every winter - it's a quick, simple dinner with guaranteed leftovers that I can throw into the crockpot and leave J to cook for us in the afternoon.  I don't even need to cook the noodles.
When I saw this recipe, I wasn't sure I wanted to try it, but there were some intriguing elements:  1, There is no ricotta layer in this lasagna.  It's sauce, shredded cheese, and noodles; and 2, You don't cook the noodles, you soak them while you make the sauce.  Having company was reason enough to try it, and we weren't disappointed.
I present to you now from the March 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Tomato-Sausage Lasagna:

Secret Recipe Club: Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Shells

So.
When I started blogging and poking around the food blog world, I discovered a fun little thing that I wanted to be a part of:  the Secret Recipe Club.  In essence, it's a group of food bloggers who are assigned each other's blogs in secret and then all post at the same time and reveal what they made at the same time.  A fun way to read other people's blogs and see what they make.  And try new things too.  I was intrigued.  You can find all the details and rules here on the Secret Recipe Club's website.
But there are rules:  you need to keep an index; you need to take your own pictures; you need to give proper credit; but the most daunting was the 100 recipe minimum.  It took a while, but when I reached 100 recipes I made sure I was in compliance with the rest of the rules and filled out the form to join.
I think that was most of a year ago.  I don't remember exactly when I sat down and made sure things were in order - but I'm pretty sure I set up the index over March Break last year.  It was a long wait, but a few weeks ago I was invited to join!  So exciting!  I'm thrilled to be joining Group A for the first time!
The blog I was assigned was Why I Am Not Skinny.  Maxine is a South African expat living in Belgium. I love Belgium. Almost as much as France, but not quite.  Spending a year in Flanders will do that to you.  France is a place where I learned to eat - and took my cooking in a totally different direction.  I made stuffed chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy for my host families, and learned to make good Bechamel and Tarte Tatin.
I went through lots of recipes on Maxine's blog, thinking I'd actually get to use the measuring cup I brought back with me from France 20 years ago, and then I found something that looked so good.  When I read the title to J, he was all in.
I present to you now my inaugural Secret Recipe Club post from Why I am Not Skinny, Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Pasta Shells:

Winter Meal: Chicken Arrabbiata

So.
Sooner or later it's going to warm up here.  I don't know when, but sooner or later.  The snow has been piling up around here and I have been wishing there was time to hibernate.  Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen anytime soon.  There is about a foot of snow sitting on the tarp'd patio table, and about 6 inches on the hot tub.  We've left it as insulation, seeing as it's been too windy and way too cold to consider being out in the tub.  Sigh.  I love hot tubbing in winter.
But I digress.
Winter calls for heavy food with lots of garlic and melted cheese.  When I saw this, I knew it would be a tasty meal for J and I on a cold night.  Once again, Budget Bytes gave us a meal that J told me I could make again if I wanted.  It's just as well he did.  I could only get 30 oz cans of tomato, and I overbought the chicken because it was on sale. 
I suggest you make this too.  You won't be disappointed.
I present to you now Budget Bytes' Chicken Arrabbiata:

Offbeat: Unsurpasta Pizza

So.
I realized recently that I hadn't made anything from Looneyspoons in a while.  We've been eating a lot of simple, quick prep meals recently as work has been crazy.  Meals have been things like baked ham, or burgers, or grilled chicken and veggies.  I made a stir fry one night with a bag of precut vegetables and chicken fillets.  My goal with J is to eat out not more than twice a week - usually on Friday or Saturday.
When looking through my fridge to see what needed to be used up from the week, I found a lot of little bits and pieces.  Then I found this recipe that would use up some of the leftover bits.  While it's not quite the original recipe, my inspiration is for sure the Looneyspoons version.  I just didn't like some of the vegetables, and had an agenda for things I was using up.
I present to you now the Oreos and Coolwhip version of Looneyspoons Unsurpasta Pizza:

Winter Meal: Italian Wedding Soup

So. 
It's cold here.  I know it's winter and all that, but it's freakishly cold.  Like, don't go outside cold.  So other than me going to work, J, the cat and I have been hiding out in our family room here on the mountain in front of the gas fireplace. 
Last night, the cat didn't even wait for the family room to cool off  like she normally she does.  She followed me up to bed, and snuggled down between J and I so she was completely wrapped in the duvet that she'd pulled off of me.  A fool she is not.
And what does cold weather call for?  Warm, steamy meals that are easy, tasty, and that make leftovers that we can eat for lunch the next day or two.
This is a recipe from Rachel Ray.  I'm not huge on her recipes, but this one is a winner that I've made for a long time from one of her 30 Minute Meals cookbooks.  She lies, though...this takes 45 minutes or so.  But no matter.  Make this.  It's delicious.
I present to you now Rachel Ray's Meatball and Macaroni Soup:

Magazine Challenge: Chicken Fettuccine with Pesto Cream Sauce

So.
One of the restaurants that I enjoy in Toronto is called Il Fornello.  They have lovely wood-fired ovens for pizza, and it was the first place that I ate a dish like this one.  Il Fornello's has toasted pine nuts and chopped plum tomato.  They are a nice addition, but this was good too.
This recipe said in Everyday Food that it took 30 minutes.  I agree.  It doesn't take long.  Fast and yummy.  That's what we're about here on weeknights.
I present to you now from the September 2005 issue of Everyday Food, Chicken Fettuccine with Pesto Cream Sauce: