Chicken Asiago Orzo Pasta

Ingredients
2 cup water
2 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
24 ounces skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 ½ cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried rosemary, basil, or oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Combine water and broth in a big pot; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in peas, 1/4 cup cheese, salt, herbs, and pepper. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Click HERE to watch this dish be made by http://foodwishes.blogspot.com

Breakfast Casserole

A large family rarely can afford those quick grab & go breakfast sandwiches or toaster meals. Still when we were a smaller family we did like them from time to time. But once we out grew them I came up with my own version that has become a timeless classic for our family.

This dish is super simple and completely versatile.

There are 2 main parts to this dish. The egg base and the bread base.

First, the Egg Base:
Scramble some eggs together. For our family this is about 12-18 eggs.
Add favorite extras - for example:
*sausage
*bacon
*cheese
*green pepper
*red pepper
*onion
*ham
*turkey
*broccoli

Mix whatever you want together and then put into a 9x13 baking dish.
Add a layer of your favorite cheese and then top with 1 package of cressant rolls, unrolled flat on top of eggs.

Bake at 350º until golden brown and serve!

Yep, it's that simple!

The fun part of this breakfast is there is no need for toast and for some reason the cressant rolls add to the fullness of the meal so the dish lasts longer than regular eggs.

Peach Melba

Ok I love The Food Network and as you can tell my most recent entries have been from said site/channel. I love finding those easy, simple recipes that help me to try new things or add to my menus. This Peach Melba one really struck me as a simple, easy family dessert that could easily be treasured for years to come. We love peaches and this recipes makes it easy to add to a menu with some fun and flair.

Ingredients

Peaches:
3 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 peaches

Raspberry sauce:
3 cups raspberries
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

To serve:
1 large tub vanilla ice

Directions
Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla pod into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to the boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to a fast simmer.

Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them, if not then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft, and then remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon.

When all the peaches are poached, peel off their skins and let them cool (then you can remove any remaining stones). If you are making them a day in advance then let the poaching syrup cool and then pour into a dish with the peaches. Otherwise just bag up the syrup and freeze it for the next time you poach peaches.

To make the raspberry sauce, liquidize the raspberries, confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jug.

To assemble the Peach Melba, allow 2 peach halves per person and sit them on each plate alongside a scoop or 2 of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each.

Millionaire's Shortbread

Ingredients

Shortbread:
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing pans
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer:
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter

Chocolate Topping:
3/4 pound good-quality milk chocolate

Shortbread:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 9x13 nonstick pan and coat with flour, tapping off excess - or line with parchment paper. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pan and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Caramel Layer:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula.

Chocolate Topping:

Prepare the chocolate by chopping finely or have a bag of mini milk chocolate - chocolate chips ready. While the caramel is still warm sprinkle the chocolate on top of the caramel mixture and let set until chocolate starts to melt. Once warm enough spread the chocolate with an off set spatula to cover the caramel mixture. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy, or store in an airtight container, at room temperature, or my favorite - keep in the refrigerator for a yummy sweet and cool treat!