Easy 5 Ingredient Rice Pilaf

Yesterday was an amazing day! I was able to go to the gym,and  wear out the baby at the kids club they have at that the gym.  When I picked her up from the kids club a little boy who was about 3 years old was singing this lovely tune "Shots, Shots, Shots", to the tune of the Aristocats DVD that they had put in for the kids!!!!  If you were there you would be on the floor laughing just as I was! kids say the most hilarious things. They are especially great at repeating exactly, what you don't want them to say also lol!.  So I arrived home and to my surprise the baby took a looong 2 1/2 hour nap for me YAY!!!!! score for mom. I was able to clean up a bit and start dinner before the afternoon crowd came home. 

Later that day I  did the afternoon pick up and I noticed I had a sicky on my hands when I went to pick up my daughter from pre-school.  My daughter hops in the car and said to me "Jordan (my son) got me sick!" We all started laughing and on our way home we went.  I have a great time in the afternoon pick ups!.  My best friend and I do a carpool daily.  She takes the morning shift, because I am not a morning person by any means and then I take the afternoon shift. So in the afternoon I have 5 kids in the car telling me about their day and what they did the day before. My girlfriends daughter who is 9 just cracks me up! she tells me these mishaps that happen when they go out, and it always seems to be when they are with there dad! I'll get into details with that another day, but take it from me the afternoon drive home is literally the highlight of my day! 

I was in the mood for rice last night with dinner but I really wanted to make something more than just plain ol' rice I wanted a little something extra so I thought I would do a super simple rice pilaf that you can put together in a flash! I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did! 

From my kitchen to your's Happy Eating! 

Adapted from: www.foodnetwork.com

What You Need:

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts

1 cup long-grain white rice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

How To:

Bring the broth and water to a boil in saucepan over medium heat.

 Reduce the heat to low and keep hot .In another saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.

 Add the scallions and cook for about3 minutes. Stir in the rice, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for another 2 minutes.

 Pour in the hot broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and 

cover the saucepan. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Creamy Orzo with Butternut Squash

Pasta is always a family favorite around here, I can get away serving just about any vegetable with pasta, even to my husband whom isn't a really big fan of many vegetables.  I made this and I thought to myself "well I may not have many takers because I put butternut squash in here" However that was on the contrary. I was able to sneak in the butternut squash and no one even complained or most importantly noticed!!  I made a massive portion of this dish and it was gone the same night.  That is typically my best indicator if a dish has been "family approved"  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family did!  Happy Eating, from my kitchen to yours!  

Delightfully adapted from: WW weekly

Ingredients

	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	2 cup(s) uncooked butternut squash, cut into small cubes
	1/2 tsp olive oil
	1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
	1 cup(s) uncooked orzo
	1 1/2 fl oz water
	1 cup(s) canned, chicken broth
	1 tsp fresh thyme, fresh, or 8 whole sprigs (sprigs preferred)
	2 Tbsp fat-free half-and-half
	1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano
	1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. 
  
• In a medium bowl, toss squash with oil and salt; spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, leaving space between squash cubes. Roast, stirring halfway through, until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add orzo. Stir constantly until orzo begins to smell toasty, about 3 minutes. Add water, broth and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  
• Remove thyme sprigs; stir in half-and-half, cheese and roasted squash. Season well with salt and pepper; serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Notes

• A medium-sized, 2 pound squash will yield approximately 3 1/2 cups of diced squash cubes. 
  
  Peel the outside of a whole butternut squash with a sturdy vegetable peeler. Trim the ends and cut it in half lengthwise. Use an ice cream scoop or melon baller to easily scoop seeds and membrane from each half. 
  
  Pre-cut butternut squash is widely available in supermarkets and is a great shortcut for time-pressed cooks. Be sure to trim down the pieces to small, even-sized cubes or slices before roasting to allow for better browning.