Parmesan Orzo

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup orzo
1 can (14.5 oz?) fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Water to equal 2.5 cups when added to broth
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper – add more to taste

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.

The recipe could have used more basil and more pepper – ¼ cup of basil doubles the amount Cooking Light calls for, but it still may not be enough. It also could have benefitted from more freshly ground black pepper – I will be sure to add more next time. But it was tasty! Scott even said “It’s just as good as the boxed stuff!”

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Seed and dice the tomatoes, combine with garlic, olive oil, balsamic and basil – add salt and pepper to taste, refrigerate. Cut ½” thick slices of the French bread (I cut them on a diagonal to get more surface area … and because I am fancy), brush with oil and toast them on a stovetop griddle – probably a minute a side. Either pile the tomato and basil on top of the bruschetta and serve, or allow each person to assemble their own – your choice!

Grilled Shrimp

Soak wooden skewers in water for an hour. Rinse shrimp (in shell) and devein. Put the shrimp in a bowl and add olive oil, salt and pepper – toss shrimp to coat. Put the shrimp on skewers and heat grill (I am doing this on the George Foreman, but it should work on any grill.) – grill for 3-5 minutes, the shrimp are done when they are opaque white.

Boiled Kale

Put on a large pot of water to boil
Rinse Kale well and tear/cut into bite sized pieces, removing heartier stems
Place Kale into boiling water, once boil has resumed, cook for 5 minutes (or to taste)
Drain water and serve!

Tilapia pan fried in butter and parsley

Melt butter in a skillet (about 1 Tbsp +) and coat skillet, add tilapia fillets and flip to coat both sides with butter. Cook for about 1 minute per side, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with lemon juice, cut heat and cover pan - let sit for about 7-10 minutes until you are ready to serve - the fish was so juicy and perfectly cooked!

Zucchini sauteed in Butter

Wash and slice zucchini into 1/8" thick rounds. Melt some butter (2 Tbsp +) in a sautee pan, add zucchini to pan, toss and cook over medium until zucchini is softened or, even better, browned a bit! Optional, but highly recommended - drizzle with lemon juice!

Spanish Tortilla

1/2 cup olive oil, extra virgin
1/2 medium onion, medium dice
2 medium russet potatoes, medium dice (I used 3 medium Yukon golds)
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Heat the olive oil in an 8-inch non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and sweat them for about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt to the oil. Let the potatoes cook for a couple of minutes and then reduce the flame to medium-low for 15 minutes. The point is not to fry the potatoes, rather to poach the potatoes in the olive oil. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt together. Drain the potatoes and onions from the oil and add them to the eggs. Don’t worry if the egg starts to cook. Remove all but a teaspoon of oil from the pan and set the heat to medium. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir the center until the egg begins to scramble. Then leave it be. Use a wooden or rubber spatula to tuck the edges in neatly and let cook for a few minutes. I waited until mine was still runny, but solid enough to invert onto a plate and return to the pan to cook the other side. Serve hot or cold.