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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Spicy Chicken, Cheesy Orzo and Roasted Green Beans

This is one of those meals that looks fantastic on the plate (just look at all those pretty colors!) but the flavors just weren't there. To be fair, I took this recipe and completely butchered it in an attempt to make it using ingredients we had on hand.


Our first complaint was that the main dish wasn't spicy at all. The original recipe calls for shrimp and chorizo - I used only chicken. I'm sure the chorizo would have added some much-needed spice and overall flavor. It ended up being very mild, almost bland, and too watery:


I figured the cheesy orzo would be a winner, but unfortunately it didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. For starters, the name is cheesy orzo but the recipe didn't actually say to add the cheese to the orzo. I figured that's where it went because of the name, but I didn't feel like buying manchego cheese so I subbed plain old cheddar. It was fine, but it didn't wow either of us:


The roasted green beans were really the highlight of the meal. Like all roasted veggies, this couldn't have been simpler - just trim the beans and toss them with oil, salt and pepper and roast them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes:


All in all this was not a winner, but I can't really blame the recipe since I made so many changes.

5 comments:

  1. your picture looks so much like hers. it's a shame it didn't come together as you had hoped.

    I haven't roasted green beans yet, only steamed or sauteed. I should try that.

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  2. Melissa - This was my first time roasting green beans and I have to say, they turned out great. I like how easy it is to roast veggies.

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  3. I like the different flavor veggies get when they are roasted. That is the only way I will eat asparagus now!

    I need to try the green beans like this...I usually just saute them with a little hickory bacon! Are they still crisp roasted?

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  4. Jessy - The green beans are really good this way, but they aren't crispy (at least mine weren't). I guess if you leave them in for less time they could be.

    Tell me more about sauteed green beans with bacon!

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  5. Well, first you need to own a wok. A little EVOO, diced bacon, minced/pressed garlic, chopped onion (optional), and fresh whole green beans (or you can use the frozen whole ones - those are good too).

    Heat the oil and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon once cooked and toss the minced/pressed garlic into the oil. Add the green beans about 45 seconds after the garlic. Saute until the beans have started to obtain a caramel color but are still crisp. Toss the bacon back in and season with a little salt and fine ground pepper.

    Sometimes I throw in some fresh dill at the end - it just depends how I feel. Sometimes I add ginger and season with soy sauce.

    Anyway you make it...they are so yummy and addictive!

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