Honey Garlic Pork Chops & Basil/Parmesan Orzo Pasta

Honey Garlic Pork Chops
1/4 c Honey
3T Soy Sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 pork chops

Mix together honey, soy sauce, and garlic with a wire whisk. Pour most of it over the chops and let sit for about 10 minutes (about 5 on each side). I save a little bit of the sauce so I can pour it over the chops while we BBQ them.

Honestly I've made this marinade so many times I just "Rachel Ray" it (no measuring). If I remember correctly though, 1/4 c of honey seemed a bit too sweet but that's the great thing about marinades, you can make it your own.

Parmesan & Basil Orzo Pasta

2T butter
1 c. uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14.5 oz) can of chicken broth
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo & saute until lightly browned. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper.

During the summer when my garden is in full produce mode, I'll add fresh bell peppers and roma tomatoes to this as well. Soooo yummy!

Fish Tacos with Cilantro/Lime Dressing

Sorry not the best of pictures, this was actually seconds. I couldn't wait to eat the first one!

Create a "pan-like" shape from aluminum foil. Place the foil on top of a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of the foil. Place fish fillets of your choice (I used Tilapia) on the foil and turn so each side gets a little bit of olive oil on it.

Sprinkle a generous amount of seasonings over the fish, I used plenty of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and Montreal Mesquite Seasoning (really whatever you want, it just depends on how spicy you want it).

Put the fish under the broiler for 5-10 minutes. Watch the fish closely to make sure they don't burn. The edges of the fish will become somewhat blackened from all the seasonings. When the fish is done, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool while you prepare the tacos.

I used wheat tortillas that we just heated up for about 15 seconds in a kitchen towel in the microwave (you can also use flour or corn tortillas). Add shredded lettuce, cheese, diced tomatoes (not pictured because we were out), green onions, black beans and fresh lime for garnish. Place a fillet on each taco and serve with a generous amount of lime dressing.

Lime Dressing:
3/4 C Ranch
1/2 C salsa
1 t dill weed
1/2 t lemon pepper
3T Lime Juice
1 t ground pepper
1/8 t ground red pepper
1/2 t horseradish
2 T cilantro
3 t sugar (this offsets the lime juice, you can omit it if you want)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

Jared gave this one a big thumbs up and it was a super quick meal to make. It took me no longer that 30 minutes from start to finish. Success!!!

Tortellini with Alfredo Sauce

Tonight we had tortellini with alfredo sauce and a green salad on the side. I thought I'd post my recipe for alfredo sauce in case you guys needed one.

Alfredo Sauce

Pull out the following ingredients:
a half stick of margarine or butter
about a fourth cup of flour
Parmesan cheese - either grated or from the can, but you need about a half cup
milk, half and half, etc - I use Eli's whole milk but I've used skim in a pinch.
spices - salt, pepper (I use white, but black is fine), and garlic

Make a roux. Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat and when it's bubbling, add the flour and stir until it makes a runny looking dough. Stir frequently, letting it brown just a little, although it's not necessary. Add....well, roughly about a half to a whole cup of milk and stir quickly mixing the roux in. It'll thicken quickly. Add more milk, and continue stirring waiting for it to thicken before you add more milk. I end up adding roughly about a cup of milk each time to make about 3 cups? It varies - I'm sorry, but there it is. When it's reached a thickness you want then add some spices. I can't honestly say an amount because I'm an eyeballer when it comes to spices, but alfredo sauce takes more than you'd think since it mutes everything in it, so it will take a bit more salt than you'd think, etc. When in doubt, taste it. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
I got my tortellini from Costco in those big bags, and it's the dried stuff. If using dried pasta I've found that when you put the pan of water on to boil, stick the pasta in before it boils to help since the tortellini can have some rough spots to cook.