Baked Orzo

Here’s a recipe that we tried for the first time last night. I got it off Food Network's “Everyday Italian.” Here’s a link to the recipe online. It was a hearty pasta dish that was made interesting by peas and mushrooms. NOTE: Next time, I’ll probably double the amount of mushrooms because they really make the dish. If you do that, I assume you’d have to adjust the butter and Marsala wine accordingly. Also, it calls for fresh mozzarella and fontina cheeses. Doubtless, it would be better that way, but groceries are wicked expensive right now, and this being my first time with this recipe, I opted for the substantially cheaper Italian blend of shredded cheeses. If I were making this for company, I’d definitely get the better cheese.

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas

4 cups chicken broth
1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking dish
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 1 cup)
4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Enjoy.

I am about to begin cooking and freezing meals for Michael and me to eat after the baby comes. If I don't do this, the temptation to just order pizza or run out for fast food will be too overwhelming. Even with a store of healthy meals, there will probably be a lot of fast food consumed. So if anyone has any recipes, cookbooks, or websites that contain freezer-friendly recipes, I'd appreciate the suggestion. You know what that means: It's time to pull out those casserole recipes. Thanks.

Holiday Domesticity

I am on holiday break and am having a blast. I have been knitting, baking, gift wrapping, and organizing stuff here at home. It amazes me just how much I enjoy doing domestic kinds of things. This is not how I once imagined my life at thirty-two years old, but I could not be happier.
The baking: Michael and I made a batch of peanut butter fudge (my favorite) that just turned out beautifully. Peanut butter fudge, because of the high oil content in the peanut butter, can be sort of hit and miss. We used the recipe on the label of the Kraft marshmallow cream jar, but made a few changes. We substituted one cup of peanut butter for the chocolate, and we boiled for five minutes instead of four. We didn't measure out the marshmallow cream, just used half of the big jar. If you have the small jar, use all or very nearly all of it. I think one key to this recipe is not to make it in a kitchen that's already heated from other baking. Possibly, this doesn't matter, but I think a cooler area to let the fudge cool in helps it set up better. I have decided that this is why in the past, my second batch has never turned out as good as my first batch.
The knitting: I picked out a beautiful cotton fleece yarn (80% cotton and 20% wool) worsted weight yarn for a baby blanket. It's made by Brown Sheep Company, which is my absolute favorite yarn company. If I never used anything but Brown Sheep, I could be completely content. I got the yarn in a pale green that's perfect for babies. My only problem is that I'm having trouble coming up with a pattern that I like. I am still suffering from pregnancy brain, so I don't think I'm up for anything too complex. I thought of doing cables, but can't really find a pattern I like. I'm kicking around this pattern for a garter stitch ruffles blanket. I just have to work out what size needles would create the best effect. This means the dreaded S-word. Swatching. Still, it is a blanket, so I'd rather do a few inches of twenty stitches and decide I don't like the pattern than go to the trouble of casting on 135 stitches. Here's a website with lots of free patterns. Consider it my holiday gift to you. And if you have other free pattern sites, please share them with me in the comments.
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory.php
The organizing: This project is well underway, with the knitting stuff very nearly organized, although not yet in its new permanent location. I had a bit of a slow down because I lost my needle gauge, then found it—broken. Don't ask me how I managed to break a metal needle gauge, but trust me, it can be done.
I've been out a few times to do last minute errands. People are really sort of bitchy this time of year, huh? I've witnessed a server getting cussed out, an ambulance getting cut off by some asshole driver, and other drivers screaming at cops who were working a rainy Friday night accident. What the hell! Chill out people. I know it's a stressful time of year. Newsflash—it's stressful on everybody. you acting like a jerk is only adding to the collective stress. Get over yourself. So what if Wal-Mart just sold out of the very last Skydiving Elmo and now you have to sell a kidney to buy one for your already spoiled rotten, ungrateful kid just so little Timmy won't be devastated on Christmas morning because after all, children really should rate their self worth by the loot they take in at Christmas, right? Here's an idea Jackass, how about teaching your kid that it isn't about the stuff and that poor kids who get nothing for Christmas are just as worthy of love, affection, and gifts as is your little darling. Teach him that Christmas can be wonderful no matter what presents he gets, and then make it wonderful by spending that precious Wal-Mart time with him. Take him to the Humane Society to adopt an animal, or just let him see you giving a donation. Better yet, let him make the donation. Why not try putting the caring and creativity back into Christmas in place of the commercialization. This has been a public service announcement from Kimberly.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family, friends, food, and joy.

Red Bean and Cauliflower Salad

Last night, Michael and I had a red bean and cauliflower salad, which is a recipe that I created and that turned out so yummy, I thought I'd share it here, because I have a very giving heart. Here is the recipe. Precise measurement isn't something I have a good grasp of, so just assume that amounts are all "to taste."

1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 small head of cauliflower, chopped pretty small
Morning Star bacon-- because we are vegetarian. Use regular bacon if you prefer
chopped green onion
blue cheese crumbles
Dressing is a balsamic glaze. 1 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer until liquid reduces to a syrup.
Enjoy.