Casual Gathering

**This is a sponsored post in collaboration with my Stouffer’s partnership. All opinions are my own.
There is nothing like casual gatherings. I love the ease in which they come together and they are all about the people first then the food comes in to enhance the experience.

Let’s talk lasagna. I love it, as does my little guy Cole. But I don’t always have time to go through the whole process. It’s a lot to do and most nights when I want to cook for family and friends, I don’t want to be sweaty from all kinds of prep.
Sweaty means shower, which means hair needs to be redone—which more than anything—means time suckers I don’t have.

For those nights, I go for a semi-homemade menu. Whaaaat? Before you go wrinkling your nose on me and gasping, truth is I don’t have time to cook every night and semi-homemade is not the frightening horror show from the ‘80s anymore.

Nope. The spread you see above, the lasagna – it’s Stouffer’s. I proudly serve it because it’s freshly made and simply frozen. The pasta is freshly made, the meat sauce is rich in flavor, the cheese is fresh mozzarella and aged Parmesan. You’ll also be glad to know it contains no artificial colors or flavors and no high fructose corn syrup.
Any other doubts? I didn’t think so.

As for the rest of the meal, I kept it simple as well with a quick mache rosette and nectarine salad, and some chopped fruit. It’s summer so I stuck with fresh and light sides. And my son will tell you that bread is a must, because how else are you supposed to sop up all that meaty sauce? Never mind that it looks like a caveman tore the bread apart—my “tweenager” decided tearing up hand size pieces was much more expedient than wielding a bread knife. Okay.


But that’s what casual dinners are all about – the experience. I try to keep fuss to a minimum, especially when I have Cole in the kitchen. Although sometimes we end up burning stuff or taking twice as long, since we are goofing off and not paying attention to timers or recipes.

Not this time though. This menu is casual dinner with ease. The only thing we had to focus on was remembering to set a timer, since Stouffer’s had us handled. The salads, well phew – we didn’t burn them. Here’s to more fun kitchen and gathering time and less busy time spent prepping and assembling! Who is with me on that one?

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One Pot Chicken and Orzo

A few months ago my wonderful mother made what I thought was Spanish rice (a favorite around here, basically a rice pilaf with tomato) but instead of browning rice to start the pilaf, she browned orzo pasta.

Brilliant! It was so incredibly good. Silky and savory like our sopa seca de fideo angel hair dish, but with little rice-shaped orzo pasta. The browning of the orzo adds a toasty nutty flavor to the pasta.

So, I thought I would step the idea up a notch and make something akin to arroz con pollo, except with pasta instead of the arroz. It would be “Orzo con Pollo”.

It’s a winner! And the best part? Aside from it being absolutely can’t-stop-eating delicious, is that it’s really easy to make, all in one large skillet.
First you brown the chicken, then brown the orzo in the rendered fat, and then add some onions and garlic. Add the chicken back to the pasta, pour in some stock and crushed tomatoes, cover and cook until the pasta has absorbed the liquid.
You can do most of the prep while the chicken is browning, so the whole shebang takes maybe 35 minutes.

One Pot Chicken and Orzo Recipe

To save time, while the chicken is browning, prep the onion, garlic, and parsley.
You can easily swap out the thighs for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Depending on the size of the pieces you may want to cut them in half.
If you use boneless, skinless thighs or breasts do not brown them as long in the first step. They will not need as much cooking time as the bone-in, skin-on thighs.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat


• 2 teaspoons olive oil


• 1 teaspoon butter


• 12 ounces (2 cups) orzo pasta


• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 1/4 cups chicken stock


• 3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes (including juices)


• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

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Vanilla Frappe Macarons

Let’s see mornings in a new light with Nespresso VertuoLine Breakfast Coffees, Solelio and Giornio and some breakfast cookies.

A-yup. Breakfast cookies by way of French Toast Macarons and Vanilla Frappe Macarons.

Admittedly, most days I will hurriedly down a few scrambled eggs and then it’s off to start a day of rushed madness. But lately, I’m seeing mornings in a new light. To help me along with that are these breakfast dessert macarons and Nespresso VertuoLine Breakfast Coffees, Solelio and Giornio to go with them.

I’ve decided waking up and thinking about all one-hundred and elevent-y! things that need to be complete before 4pm while sipping my coffee is completely non-sensical. Not only that, it gets me reeling down the path of wanting to ignore emails because after that one-hundred and elevent-y to-do list is probably another few dozen emails of missed deadlines inquiries. That, friends, is the awful truth of it.
Thank gawd for the little pleasures in life like morning coffee and cookies. If you are a regular reader around here, then you know I’ve been a long time fan and partner of Nespresso. Their new VertuoLine Breakfast Coffees, Solelio and Giornio are my new go-to blends. The Solelio has red fruity notes, while Giornio has white floral notes—both are light and medium in roast.

What really makes this coffee shine is that Nespresso’s coffees and espressos are topped with a silky and generous layer of naturally-formed crema—a sign of superior, high quality coffee. And if you are a coffee and espresso drinker like me, then you will love how the VertuoLine Evoluo machine brews both large-cup coffee and authentic espresso with one easy touch of a button. But foam—where is the foam to this at-home barista machine you ask? No worries there, because Nespresso has you covered with its Aeroccino4 milk frother, which helps you turn hot or cold milk into barista-worthy foam.
Look at how airy and tight that foam is.

Beyond that, Nespresso makes it easy to recycle the 100% aluminum capsules with a pre-paid Nespresso UPS bag, so go ahead and indulge in some Nespresso and don’t forget the breakfast cookies to go with it!
**This post was created in connection with my appointment as a Nespresso participant.

Vanilla Frappe Macarons

Ingredients:

Macaron Shells

• 60g almond meal


• 120g confectioner's sugar


• 1 tablespoon vanilla powder


• 20g granulated sugar


• 60g egg whites (about 2 eggs)


• 2 tablespoons vanilla seed powder (optional)

Filling

• 55g white chocolate


• 90g butter room temperature.


• 30g confectioner's sugar


• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

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Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Recipe

I have been really wanting to try out this healthy buffalo cauliflower bites recipe for quite some time and finally got around to it. I wish I had started making this sooner because it was absolutely delicious. I have seen various versions of this recipe and many of them were quite time consuming. If you are a fellow busy parent that wants to cook up a quick and delicious meal, then you are in the right place!

For this recipe, all you need is to coat your cauliflower in a hot sauce mixture, cook in the oven for 20 minutes and then they are ready to enjoy. YES! They are that simple to make. Super healthy and simple alternative to traditional buffalo chicken bites. Because this recipe is all about saving time and we have narrowed it down to only a few steps, they are not going to be super crispy. You may want to broil them if you are able to keep a close eye on them while they are in the oven.

If you have children that love spicy foods and enjoy buffalo wings, this is a genius way to sneak in a veggie. You can also get creative with sauces and try out new dips. Again… if you are looking for a crispier version of this recipe, I suggest broiling them in the oven, just make sure to keep a close eye on them so you don’t burn them.
If you are looking for something to add with these delicious buffalo cauliflower bites, these Minute® Ready to Serve Rice bowls pair perfectly with them. What’s so great about them is that they are an easy go-to lunch for our family as we are in that busy back-to-school season. You literally only have to take the rice bowl, place it in the microwave for 60 seconds and they are done… um, can you say convenient?

The kids love popping the buffalo bites into the bowl, mix them up and then enjoy a savory bite of rice and buffalo bites! The Minute® Ready to Serve Rice is the ideal portable solution for lunch because you can eat it on the go, straight from the cup

I am always looking for the healthy option when it comes to our meals and Minute® Ready to Serve Rice provides that easy portion control since it’s conveniently packaged in two individual single-serve cups.

What a quick and delicious meal! Everyone in my house is absolutely loving this new combination and I am enjoying how much time the Minute® Ready to Serve Rice saves me!

I hope you enjoyed another healthy and clean eating recipe! Let me know in the comments below if you tried this recipe out and what your thoughts were. I have seen a few other cauliflower recipes that I want to try out and share with you, so make sure to stay tuned for that!

Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups of fresh cauliflower florets
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• ¾ cup Frank's RedHot hot sauce

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Creamy Parmesan Herb Chicken Mushroom (NO CREAM OPTION)

 

A thick and lightened up Creamy Parmesan Herb Chicken Mushroom with a kick of garlic is your new favourite dinner recipe! With a NO heavy cream — or ANY cream — at ALL option!

Creamy Parmesan Herb Chicken Mushroom! Wow! So many flavours in the one pan! Crispy skinned chicken simmered in a beautifully thick and creamy sauce, using NO cream if you’re ‘cream hesitant’, with a mixture of herbs, a good kick of garlic and parmesan; simple ingredients for maximum taste. Sounds good, right? This is the first recipe I’m sharing with you all for 2017. A low fat alternative without depriving us of any flavours.

This chicken was SO GOOD, I had to make it a second time right after everyone had eaten, because they ALL wanted  MORE. And since then, we’ve made it at least once a week since I first introduced the family to all of these flavours (back in October, 2016). It seems totally unfair I’ve been holding onto this for so long without sharing it. Truth be told, I didn’t think the photos were good enough to share them. Well, must’ve had rocks in my head.

as with all of my chicken thigh recipes, you start this one off by searing them first to get the skin nice and crisp. After that; make your sauce and finish it all off in the oven until the chicken is completely cooked through. Of course, if you want to use chicken breasts you CAN do so without baking. Just continue simmering them in the sauce until they are completely cooked through.

Creamy Parmesan Herb Chicken Mushroom
 
A thick and lightened up Creamy Parmesan Garlic Herb Chicken Mushroom with a kick of garlic is your new favourite dinner recipe! With the option of NO heavy cream at ALL!
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Fot The Chicken :

•     6 chicken thighs (skin on or off, bone in or out)*
•     2-3 teaspoons garlic powder
•     Salt and pepper

For The Sauce :

•     1 tablespoon minced garlic
•     400 g | 14 oz cups sliced mushrooms (1½ cups)
•     1 teaspoons dried basil
•     1 teaspoons dried oregano
•     2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
•     1½ cups 2% milk*** (or cream if using: see notes)
•     1 teaspoon chicken bullion powder (or stock powder)
•     Salt and pepper , to taste
•     1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 2 tablespoons of extra 2% milk****
•     3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese , divided
•     1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (EXTRA), to serve

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Prime rib

Prime rib claims center stage during holiday season for a very good reason. It is the king of beef cuts.

It’s called a standing rib roast because to cook it, you position the roast majestically on its rib bones in the roasting pan.

Beautifully marbled with fat, this roast is rich, juicy, and tender—a feast for the eyes and the belly.
It’s also very easy to cook. You just start it in the oven at a high temperature to get good browning on the outside of the roast, and then cook it at a lower temperature to make sure the meat in the center doesn’t get over cooked.

There’s usually something for everyone with this roast. The ends are well done for those who can’t tolerate pink. The center should be a vibrant rare for those of us who must have our beef rare.
A full rack of prime beef is 7 ribs, which will easily serve 14 to 16 people (or more!). A full rack will not fit in my oven, so when I’m feeding a crowd, I cut the roast in half (3 ribs on one roast and 4 ribs on the other) and cook them in separate ovens.

As for estimating how big a roast you’ll need, the butchers I’ve talked to say to estimate 2 people for every rib. In my experience, that’s a LOT of meat! For the roasts we get, and given that we are serving a lot of food in addition to the roast, 3 people per rib is fine. If you want to error on the generous side, with plenty of leftovers, aim for 2 people per rib.

Note that just because you are ordering a “prime” rib, it doesn’t mean that you are getting USDA Prime. Most “prime ribs” we get from market are actually USDA Choice quality.[1] If you want USDA Prime prime rib, which has more fat marbling throughout the meat, and which can easily cost 50% more per pound, you will likely need to special order it from your butcher.

Prime Rib Recipe

Older cookbooks will sometimes instruct you to remove excess fat from the roast. "Excess" fat is any fat more than an inch thick on the roast. Fat is what you need to give the roast flavor and to make it juicy and tender. Prime rib is expensive and you are paying good money for that fat so leave it on. Your butcher should have removed any excess fat.

The most important piece of advice I can give you regarding cooking a prime rib roast is to use a good meat thermometer! I recommend this ChefAlarm by ThermoWorks. With a remote thermometer you can tell exactly what the temperature of the meat is without having to open the oven door.

Ingredients

• One standing rib roast, 3 to 7 ribs (estimate serving 2-3 people per rib), bones cut away from the roast and tied back to the roast with kitchen string (ask your butcher to prepare the roast this way)


• Salt


• Freshly ground black pepper

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Wonton Chicken Salad

This Wonton Chicken Salad is a simple yet delicious salad that goes perfectly as a side or the star of the meal. The crisp wontons paired with chicken and the incredible dressing are such a tasty combination of flavors, ingredients and textures!

Salads are one of my favorite foods to enjoy in the summertime! I love the freshness and the crisp bites. This Wonton Chicken Salad is one of my all time favorite salads! This recipe comes from my grandma’s cookbook of family recipes. I have been enjoying this salad since I was a small girl!

The dressing is such an important part of this salad. It gives it a wonderful flavor without being to overbearing.

The dressing paired with those crisp fried wontons and juicy chicken keeps it simple yet packed with flavor! This is always a crowd favorite whenever I make it! There is a reason this salad has stood the test of time in my family. It. Is. AMAZING!

This is one of those salads you are going to want to make again and again! You won’t believe your tastebuds unless you try this for yourselves! And if you are looking for one of my other favorite summertime salads, give this BBQ CHICKEN SALAD a try! It is seriously the BEST of its kind!

Author: Nikki
Recipe type: Salad

Ingredients:

•     6 ounces wontons, cut into thirds


•     oil to fry wontons


•     8 cups lettuce, I use a combination of Romaine and iceberg


•     ½ cup chopped green onions


•     1½ cups cooked and chopped chicken


•     ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

•     1 cup rice vinegar


•     1 cup vegetable oil


•     1 cup sugariklan


•     1 teaspoon accent seasoning


•     2½ teaspoons salt

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