Broccoli & Cheese Orzo

When it comes to healthy side dishes, there are tons of options...BUT when you're married to a picky-pete, it is hard to staple them down sometimes. I love broccoli & cheese, Mr.Hooah however, not so much. He will eat maybe a spoonful of it & that is as far as it will go for him! I have cooked with orzo maybe once or twice before, in soups.. As I always say, I am ALWAYS looking for healthy recipes or recipes that can be made healthy. This is another random pinterest find, so I decided to pair it with my Honey-Lime Chicken & it was so delicio! Mr.Hooah even likes it, he ate 2 bowls! Woot Woot, GO ME!!! Haha! It is light, fresh, & the broccoli still has some crispness. We decided that the best way to eat this was with our chicken (link to recipe above) diced up & stirred in! 

-XO

Broccoli & Cheese Orzo

1 c. orzo

1 head of broccoli florets, chopped

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

1 TBSP light butter

1/4c. 2% milk 

salt to taste

*You can use more milk if need be, to whatever consistency you like...I also like to sprinkle in some garlic pepper seasoning to give it some extra flavor*

• Add orzo to a pot of salted boiling water. Cook 3mins then add in broccoli & cook for 5 more mins or until orzo is tender.
• Drain well then return to the pot. Add in all remaining ingredients & mix well, until cheese melts.

Honey-Lime Chicken

Ommm Nom Nommmm! Is what I think about this recipe! If you've been keeping up, then you've noticed that chicken is a BIG part of our life! Our freezer is always stocked with it & it is my most used meat! Mr.Hooah & I were blessed to have been given a really nice free gas BBQ grill last summer.. his friend at work decided to get a new one & gave us this one.. CRAZY! because there is nothing wrong with it besides a little fading down the front! Needless to say, we LOVE to grill & we grill A LOT, so this grill has been put to good use! This recipe, I found on Pinterest, there are tons of pins for this recipe so I just used whichever one I came across...but this is such a great recipe! You can get fancy & fun with it & cut the chicken up to skewer it, which is great too! Ither way, this has to be one of my favorite ways to make grilled chicken! The flavors are amazing & I even like to squeeze a lime over the chicken after Mr.Hooah brings it in from the grill because I love that extra bite the lime gives it! MMM, I'm getting hungry just blogging about it haha! Sooooooo delish!

-XO

Honey-Lime Chicken

3 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP honey

1 TBSP EVOO

Juice of one lime

1 TBSP garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 TBSP cilantro, roughly chopped

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

• Mix all ingredients together & then place chicken in marinade, refrigerate 1hr.
• You can cut the chicken into pieces & skewer it (just remember to soak your skewers in water at least 30mins-1hr before putting on your chicken!), or just grill it whole. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. You can also chop & sprinkle some extra cilantro on top as an extra tasty garnish!

Crock-Pot Orange Chicken

Me being half Korean & Mr.Hooah having a strong love for all foods Asian, I cook A LOT of fried rice(made with quinoa instead of rice) & stir-fry. And when he's really been good, I make homemade sushi! I have tried some recipes for Asian inspired crock-pot meals & I just wasn't a fan! However, this Orange Chicken recipe must have crossed my path on pinterest 100 times or more! I finally broke down, got the ingredients & made it for dinner tonight! I mentioned that I swapped out brown rice for quinoa a while ago but I thought with this, I would just serve it with white rice...so for Mr.Hooah, this was a treat! Haha! I have two words for this recipe: 1) Surprised & 2) DELICIOUS! I was seriously surprised that I liked this so much & Mr.Hooah had no complaints three bowls later ither! I always get General Tso's Chicken or Orange Chicken when we go out for Chinese, so this was right up my alley! Also, in my own opinion it is healthier because the chicken isn't fried. The sauce is saucy & the orange marmalade gives it just that right amount of brightness. It will definitely be on our next menu plan!

-XO  

Crock-Pot Orange Chicken

4-5 Boneless Chicken breasts, cut up into bite-size pieces

3/4 c. Smuckers Orange Marmalade 

3/4 c. Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

2 TBSP soy sauce 

(I added 1 tsp. minced garlic also)

(I also sprinkle with sesame seeds...MMM!)

• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, place in the crock-pot & cook on high for 3hrs, then drain the juices off, return to crock-pot.
• In medium bowl, combine all other ingredients & mix well. 
•  Pour the BBQ-Orange mixture over the chicken & cook on high for 30 more minutes & serve with/over rice!

Tips & Tricks Linky Party-Superbowl Foods

Hey guys! Today is my first official day to co-host Tips & Tricks by Stringtown Home! To say I am excited is an understatement! Now, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALLLLLL?! This weeks party is Superbowl Foods! Mr.Hooah is a big football fan so we usually have a little get together...however, this time there is a good chance he will be out in the field playing Army when the games on...I'm not excited because I just got him back! Lol. Oh, the life of an Army wife, right?! This is a 13 blogger party & all links will be shared on various social media outlets, with that kind of exposure it's kinda like being a little bit famous huh?! Haha! I always like to make fun "Man Foods" for the Superbowl & I only have a few good recipes, so I can't wait to see what you all link-up!

-XO

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Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

With the Super Bowl coming up, it's time to dig out all of my trusty Super Bowl worthy recipes... Mr.Hooah requested that I make the Homemade Salsa he likes so much & what football party would be complete without "Man Foods" like potato skins?! These Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins do not disappoint! This recipe is a little healthier than your regular potato skins & to my surprise, the men do not complain, these are definitely a crowd pleaser! Sweet potatoes are so savory too, so this is something I like to make for dinner once in a blue moon just to change things up. Just throw the potatoes in the oven for an hour & forget about them, from there its all 'stuffin', spice, & everything nice!

-XO

Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

(You'll want to double this if you have a crowd!)
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 can chicken, shredded
1/4 c. EVOO
2 TBSP lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped.. reserve 3TBSP of the sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
2 c. spinach
Mexican-Style shredded cheese for topping
Cilantro for garnish

[HELPFUL TIP: I use a plain ice-cream scooper to scoop out the potato flesh, then when it comes to stuffing the skins, use it again to get the perfect servings of stuffing!]

• Preheat oven to 350'...wash potatoes, prick with fork all over then place onto a foil lined baking sheet & bake 50-60 minutes. Place potatoes on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes to cool then cut them in half.
• In medium bowl, combine EVOO, garlic, lime, peppers, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt & pepper. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan or skillet, wilt spinach over medium heat. Remove from heat, toss chicken & reserved adobo sauce in.
• Turn oven up to 400' & scrape the sweet potato out of peel, leaving a medium layer of flesh inside peel. Place the potato back on the baking sheet & brush them with the EVOO mixture you set aside. Bake 5-10 minutes. While those bake, take the remaining EVOO mixture & mix it in with the chicken & spinach mixture.
• Remove skins from oven, stuff with chicken mixture & top with cheese; Bake 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 

MMM! How good do these look?!

Look at all this chipotle goodness!