One Day

"One day" is a term I hear alot. It used to be something that drove me crazy because I'm all about right now. I'm not the most patient of people-- especially when I know what I want and I'm simply waiting for someone else to get there, too. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me between work, stress with selling my condo, and still trying to feel settled in the new apartment. I've had a permanent bad mood, to say the least. Not sure where it was coming from (other than the stress noted before!), the past few days have been very humbling for me as I've recognized that my bad mood was due to not getting what I want. What a baby.

I'm now feeling more comfortable being perfectly content with what I have right now. Life is good and not a day goes by that I'm not aware of that. I just let my imagination go crazy with the "one days" that I dream about. My new goal is to stay grounded with all the blessings of TODAY.

Cookin' It up: Spicy Orecchiette with Broccoli

I've been working two jobs the past couple months trying to work towards a huge goal of mine (more details on that in a separate blog post!). Needless to say, I have barely had time for LIFE. Mondays and Tuesdays are my coveted days off with Jacob and we definitely make the most of our time together. One of our favorite things to do is cook dinner together, which we've been doing alot more of lately. Monday night we had a little date night including a very delicious dinner I wanted to share!

Spicy Orecchiette with Broccoli

Ingredients:

12 oz. orecchiette or other short pasta

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until broccoli begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until water has evaporated and broccoli is crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes more.

3. To pasta in pot, add broccoli mixture, parmesan, and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve sprinkled with extra parmesan.

Next time I make this dish, I'm going to add some tasty summer squash. The picture above is fresh from the pot. It does not do it justice! This was one of my favorite meals in awhile and it was so simple to make! It looks a little bland because I'm super sensitive to spicy food.... but I ended up adding more red pepper flakes as I ate and it was delicious!

J and I played our new video game: Toy Story Mania on Wii (and it's in 3-D, hence the nerdy glasses!) and then ended the night watching the movie "Youth in Revolt" (not a movie I recommend, but it was just nice to relax on the couch together!)

Cookin' It Up: Spinach and Brie Chicken with Tomato Orzo

A new favorite of mine! I couldn't find "chicken cutlets" so I bought "breast tenders". Rather than rolling the chicken, we placed them flat on the baking sheet, then added the fillings, then topped it with another breast tender. The cook time was alot longer and our chicken actually came out too well-done (mostly because I freak out about getting e-coli!) but it was still tasty!

Oh! and P.S. I'm a huge fan of orzo and this rendition is one of my new faves!!!

Spinach and Brie Chicken with Tomato Orzo

Ingredients:

8 thin chicken cutlets (1.5 lbs total)

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 package (10 oz) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

4 oz. Brie cheese, cut into 8 slices

1 cup orzo

2 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp. better

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Set a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Dividing evenly, spread one side of each cutlet with mustard; top with spinach, then cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Starting at short end, roll chicken up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, on sheet.

2. Season rolled chicken with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until tops are lightly browned and chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook orzo is boiling water until al dente. Drain well; return to pot. Add tomatoes, parsley, butter, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Serve stuffed chicken with orzo.