Summer Orzo Salad AKA An Explosion of Delicious

Every now and then I make a really share-worthy meal, and this is one of them. I wanted to find a yummy, cold summer salad, and this is an adaptation of one I found and changed around a bit. Matthew and I are completely obsessed with it. It may look un-assuming, but believe me it's not. One bite, and you'll get it.

This recipe can be served as a side dish or a complete meal. We like it as a complete meal, and leftovers for lunch the next day are just as delicious. Hope you try it! :)

Summer Orzo Salad

Ingredients for the dressing:

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice

1 tsp Honey

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

Ingredients for the salad:

12 oz Orzo Pasta

6 cups Chicken Broth

3-4 medium chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper (may be omitted)

1 TBS Olive Oil

2 cups Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved

3 TBS Chopped Fresh Basil

1 cup Baby Spinach or Arugula, chopped

1 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

1/2 cup Pine Nuts, toasted in a dry skillet (toss often, they burn quickly!)

Directions:

- Cook the orzo in chicken broth until tender, according to package directions (I don't add any extra salt).

- Dice your uncooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and sauté on medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.

- While orzo and chicken cooks, dice up your tomatoes, basil, and spinach or arugula. Set aside. 

- Toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, watching them carefully and tossing often. Set aside to cool.

- Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside. 

- When orzo is done cooking, drain it and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick together - this is important!

- When orzo and chicken has cooled, you may mix everything up, but wait until just before serving to add the pine nuts.  

-May be served at room temperature or cold

Enjoy!

Serves about 8 as a side dish or 4 as an entree 

Energy Bites (advisory: highly addictive)

We are all completely obsessed with these "energy bites" around here. They are all natural, insanely delicious, and the perfect, quick snack to whip up and keep in your fridge to hold you over between meals or to enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea, or milk. We love them so much, so I figured I'd share the wealth with you all, too. Just be careful - they're addicting! :)

Energy Bites

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup crunchy peanut putter 

1/2 cup ground flax

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

(you could add other things too, if you'd like, such as chia seeds or coconut!)

Mix all together and form into round balls (about half the size of a golf ball). Refrigerate. 

(best after refrigerated a couple hours)  Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Donuts by Gina

Happy Monday everyone! I'm en route to Cabo today where I am super duper HOW DID I GET SO LUCKY to be shooting a corporate event there, so my friend Gina is taking over with a drool-worthy guest recipe post. I may just need to try these donuts, though I'm a little wary given my track record. Remember this catastrophe? Yeah, I tried to black that out too.

Take it away, Gina! :)

Hi everyone - I'm Gina from {Acute Designs} and I'm so happy to be here on Jenni's lovely blog today!

I'm sure you guys have noticed that once September hits, the internet world goes pumpkin crazy.   I love pumpkin but I'm not gaga over it.  It's good, but you know what's better?  Sweet potatoes (also known as yams).

Sweet potatoes are one of my most favorite foods ever.  They're great as a side, an entire meal (sprinkle with goat cheese!), fried, mashed, whatever.  They're simply perfect.

Recently I have seen a few delicious looking recipes for pumpkin donuts but decided to mix it up and make sweet potato donuts.  Sweet potatoes are orange like pumpkin and naturally sweeter.  They just don't get enough credit :).

These donuts are super easy to make and if you just can't resist the pull of the pumpkin, you can easily substitute a cup of pumpkin puree for the sweet potato in this recipe.

sweet potato donuts (makes about two dozen donuts and donut holes)
-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
-4 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 cup sugar
-3 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
-2 large eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup milk
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-1 cup of mashed sweet potato (or pumpkin)
-canola or vegetable oil for frying (about three cups)
-1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup white sugar for dusting the finished donuts

1. Peel two medium sweet potatoes, cut into large pieces and boil until fork tender (about 10-15 minutes).  Drain the water from the pot and mash the sweet potatoes.  Measure out one cup of the mash and set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients (flour through cinnamon) and set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter for about a minute.  Add in the eggs, mix until combined, then add in the vanilla and mix until combined.  Next, gradually mix in the milk, then the apple cider vinegar, then the (cooled) mashed sweet potato. Don't add piping hot sweet potato to the mixture or it could scrabble the eggs.

4. Finally, mix the dry ingredients into the wet.  I dumped in a third at a time.  Mix until just combined.

5. The dough will be sticky and easier to work with if you cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.

6. After a few hours (or the next day - it doesn't matter), remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface.  You want to roll it out a little thicker than you would if you were making cookies.

7. Use a round biscuit or cookie cutter and cut out circles.  Then, use a smaller round cutter to cut out the middle of the donuts.  My large circle cookie cutter was three inches in diameter and I used the lid of a bottle of olive oil for the center.  The lid was an inch in diameter.  If you don't have a round cookie cutter, use the brim of a wide glass and cut the center of the donut out with the lid from a milk container. small bottle, etc.

8. Once you have all your donuts cut, it's time to fry.  The frying is funnest part :).  Heat about three cups of canola or vegetable oil in a pot and set it over medium-high heat.  You will know the oil is ready when tiny bubbles begin to form along the edges of the pot.  You don't need a special "frying thermometer."  When you think the oil is hot enough, test it by throwing in a small piece of dough.  If the oil is hot enough, it will bubble around the dough and the dough will quickly rise to the top.

9. Add in about four donuts at a time, frying for a minute on each side.  When they are golden brown, they are ready to remove.  They will cook fast, especially when the oil gets hot, so watch that they don't burn!  I lined a cookie sheet with paper towels and set to hot donuts on the sheet to cool.

10. Once all the donuts (and donut holes!) are fried, toss them in cinnamon and sugar and eat!  They're so good.  Store extras in an airtight container for up to three days.

Enjoy!!  

Thanks for reading...if you want more, stop by my blog, my shop, or Instagram.

Pumpkin bread with cinnamon streusel topping

I know this is the second recipe post here in a row (weird), and also the second post in a row that I demanded you make said recipe... but this pumpkin bread, you guys. You need it in your life. 

We had a little fall cool snap here (finally!), and this was the perfect addition to a very full weekend. Hope you can find the time to make it! Since I'm too lazy to post the whole recipe, go on over here for the details. Happy MONDAY! :)

(check out this post from last year, too: "five things you should try this fall"!)

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Light Italian Meatball soup (YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS) + Friday Features

YOU GUYS, this soup! Matthew and I eat a lot of chicken since I never have trouble finding delicious, healthy chicken recipes, but I have trouble incorporating other meats into meal time, to mix things up. I was looking for ground beef recipes the other day, and I found this one. It sounded so delicious, and last night we tried it. 10 out of 10, y'all! This recipe needs to be in your life.

LIGHT ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

*serves 6-8

Ingredients: 
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup of diced onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups of low sodium beef broth
• 2 cups of water
• 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 1 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes 
• ½ lb Ditalini or Macaroni pasta
• 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped basil

Meatballs:

• 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10 or higher, you won't be able to drain the grease!)
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 large egg whites

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil in a large 6-8 quart stock pot over medium high heat
2. Chop carrots, onions, and garlic. Add the carrots and onions to warm pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an addition 1 minute.
3. Add broth, water, tomato paste and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Meanwhile combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with hands to combine. Using a 1 tablespoon scoop to portion, lightly shape the scoops into meatballs using your hands to roll them. Drop them into the broth, distributing them evenly around the pot. Cover. Allow to boil for 5 minutes. Stir meatballs gently.
5. Add pasta. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Add basil and parsley, stir and serve. ENJOY! :)
   
   
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Happiness in Bloom is a blog by a sweet Florida girl named Stacie, who you can get to know a wee bit better here. I love how honest Stacie is about her ten year struggle with depression, and her commitment to embracing the good in herself and her life. In Stacie's own words, "this blog will document my journey towards finding happiness within myself while also having a positive impact on those around me."

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HAPPY FRIDAY!