Lemon Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Today was a lazy day. I did manage to get outside for a quick run, but otherwise my day consisted of sleeping in until nine (which is crazy late considering I am up at five for work), watching the Today Show, playing on Pinterest, doing some laundry, and watching NBC's "What We Wasted Our Year On." For dinner I roasted a bunch of vegetables and tossed them with Lemon Garlic Orzo and a simple lemon dressing. This dish made my day feel accomplished. It was fresh and satisfying. I suggest a colorful combination of vegetables below, substitute with whatever vegetables you have at home. Artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes would be yummy too! Tomorrow I am going to play in the kitchen some more. I'll be making stuffed mushrooms and experimenting with Jalapeño Cheddar Scones. 

Ingredients:

Pasta-

1 pound orzo (I used Pappardelle's Lemon Garlic Orzo)

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds

2 yellow squash, halved and sliced

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 orange pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Feta Cheese and Red Pepper Flakes for topping

Dressing-

1/3 cup quality extra virgin olive oil

Juice of two large lemons

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for 25 minutes. As the vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. To prepare the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk. When the vegetables are ready, toss them with the pasta, and mix in the dressing. Top with red pepper flakes and feta cheese. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Waffles

You know you're on vacation when you're making waffles. I always eat peanut butter chocolate oatmeal for breakfast. Today, however, with no need to rush around and take care of errands before the work week begins, I decided to switch it up and make waffles. After preparing them I realized they are essentially the breakfast as I usually have, just cooked in a waffle maker and topped with syrup. I love the texture of oatmeal in my waffles, the sweetness of the ripe banana, and the melty chocolate chips. They were a great start to my three week winter break! Last night Alaina and I celebrated our last day by creating a meal using nothing but ingredients from our fridge and pantry. We made creamy polenta with mushrooms, spinach and onions. For dessert we baked dark chocolate brownies for 3/4 of the recommended time (our version of molten lava chocolate cake). I am looking forward to having the time to cook these next few weeks and experiment with a few new recipes ideas. More posts to follow!

Ingredients:

1 very ripe large banana
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
A pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole white wheat flour
A sprinkle of chocolate chips

Directions:
Mash the banana with baking powder. Add egg, oil, salt, vanilla, almond butter, almond milk and stir.
Stir in oats and flour until just combined. Sprinkle in chocolate chips and fold gently.
Add half of the mixture to a waffle maker. Cook until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and a few more chocolate chips. Makes two large waffles or four small waffles.