Zucchini mushroom orzo

 

ZUCCHINI AND MUSHROOM ORZO

Add zucchini and mushrooms to orzo and you have a creative and tasty side dish. The onions, garlic, fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese make it even more delicious. You can even add chicken or shrimp to it and have a complete meal that is so easy to prepare. 

• Author:Olga's Flavor Factory
 
• Prep Time:20 mins
 
• Cook Time:25 mins
• Total Time:45 mins
 
• Yield: 4-6
 
• Category:Sides

INGREDIENTS

SCALE

• 8 oz orzo pasta
• 1 Tablespoon butter or oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced ( I used white button mushrooms, but you can use any mushrooms that you like)
• 1 medium zucchini, about 8 oz, chopped
• salt, ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to how you like it, more on the al dente side, if that's what you prefer, or make it soft and mushy, if you're like my husband, haha. You'll be eating it, so cook it however you like, not necessarily by the package instructions.
2. While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, prep and cook the rest of the ingredients. If you time things right, everything will finish cooking at the same time, and how cool is that? I love when things work out like that in the kitchen.
3. In a medium skillet, heat the butter until it melts and then add the chopped onion, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onions are soft and tender.
4. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the skillet, also seasoning with salt and pepper and cook for another 5-8 minutes. At first, the mushrooms will get watery, but eventually, all the extra liquid will cook off and the mushrooms will start to get golden.
5. When the mushrooms start to get some color on them and turn golden brown, add the chopped zucchini and also season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Keep cooking the zucchini for just 3 minutes or so, just until it loses its rawness, but that's all. Zucchini cooks really fast, and if you keep it on the heat too long, it will get watery and mushy.
7. At this point, the pasta should be cooked. Drain the orzo and add all the cooked vegetables and mushrooms to the pot, mixing to combine.
8. Add the Parmesan cheese. You can add just a 1/4 of a cup, or if you want to make it really cheesy, add a full 1/2 cup; it's totally up to you. Add the chopped parsley and also mix to combine.
9. Serve hot.

NOTES

Leftovers reheat really well, so all you have to do is microwave it or add just a teaspoon or two of oil or butter, add the orzo and cook on medium heat until the orzo is hot all the way through. You can add a splash of water or broth to thin it out a bit and to help it reheat faster.

Instead of the orzo, you can use any other type of pasta or even rice.

Lentil Kale salad

 

Lentil Salad

Prep Time: 20minutes mins

Cook Time: 20minutes mins

Total Time: 40minutes mins

Serves 4 to 6

This lentil salad recipe is a perfect make-ahead lunch or healthy side dish! It's filled with fresh veggies, feta, olives, and a zingy lemon dressing. It keeps well for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Ingredients

Dressing

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or za'atar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

• 2½ cups cooked French green lentils, from 1 cup uncooked
• 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced into half-moons
• ¾ cup yellow grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 4 lacinato kale leaves, stemmed, leaves torn
• 4 red radishes, thinly sliced
• Heaping ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• Heaping ½ cup green olives, pitted and halved
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves

Instructions

• Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, Italian seasoning, salt, cumin, and several grinds of pepper.
• Assemble the salad: Add the lentils, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, kale, radishes, feta, and olives to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Add the parsley and mint and toss again. Season to taste and serve.

Chocolate pudding cake

 

Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe

This self-saucing Chocolate Pudding Cake is soft and moist, with a gooey chocolate pudding layer on the bottom. Serve it warm with ice cream!

Prep Time10minutes mins

Cook Time35minutes mins

Total Time45minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Total Cost: ($5.84 recipe / $0.97 serving)

Servings: 6 servings (approx 3-inch square of cake each)

Author: Jess - Budget Bytes

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

• ½ Tbsp instant coffee $0.93
• ¼ cup light brown sugar $0.13
• ¼ cup granulated sugar $0.18
• 1 cup flour $0.39
• 1 tsp baking powder $0.04
• 1 tsp baking soda $0.01
• ¼ cup cocoa powder $0.73
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips $0.99
• 1 tsp vanilla extract $0.65
• ¾ cup half & half $0.98

Topping Ingredients

• ½ cup brown sugar $0.26
• ¼ cup granulated sugar $0.18
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder $0.36
• ⅛ tsp salt $0.01
• 1 cup boiling water $0.00

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350. Combine instant coffee, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and semi-sweet chocolate chips in a mixing bowl and mix to combine.
• In a separate bowl, combine vanilla extract and half & half. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture with a spoon until combined. Pour it into a buttered or sprayed cake pan.
• Then, combine the topping ingredients: brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
• Generously sprinkle all the sugar cocoa topping over the cake. Don't mix it in!
• Then, pour the boiling water over the top (don't mix it in!)
• Transfer the cake pan to the oven for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Best potato salad

 

Potato Salad

Prep Time: 15minutes mins

Cook Time: 15minutes mins

Chilling Time: 1hour hr

Total Time: 1hour hr 30minutes mins

Serves 6

The BEST potato salad recipe! Perfect for picnics and BBQs, it's creamy, tangy, and flavorful. Bonus: it tastes even better if you make it ahead.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle brine
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• ½ cup diced dill pickles
• ½ cup chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped, optional

Instructions

• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle brine, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
• Place the cooled potatoes in a large bowl. Add the dressing and stir to coat, mashing the potatoes slightly so that the salad becomes creamy. 
• Fold in the celery, chopped pickles, chives, dill, and hard-boiled eggs, if using.
• Cover and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Season to taste and serve. Leftover potato salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Chocolate chip Muffins

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 3/4 cups (315g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (185g) full fat sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil*
• 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 14 muffins, so prepare a second muffin pan in the same manner or bake in batches and reserve leftover batter at room temperature for when the first batch is done.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips together in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, oil, milk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until completely combined. (Batter is quite thick, so I recommend a spatula or spoon over a whisk.) Avoid overmixing. The batter will be thick and sticky.
4. Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-21 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 13-14 total minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.)
5. Cool muffins for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack until ready to eat.
6. Cover leftover muffins and store at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.