Wolfpack Pasta Recipe

If you read my Bachelorette Premier Party post (if not, go read it quickly and then come right back here), I talked about making meals together on Monday nights with my girlfriends. When the Bachelor/Bachelorette was not on, they were often times referred to as Wolfpack Mondays. Why Wolfpack Mondays? Honestly, the movie The Hangover came out during this period and we were slightly obsessed with it, to the point of knowing the whole movie almost word for word. Therefore we started referring to our group of friends as the Wolfpack. 

 The core of the wolfpack consisted of three ladies, LV (Lauren), Bee (Brittany) and KMK (myself). We jokingly made up Wolfpack Rules, but really they are not a joke, because these are things you should really take seriously and follow. Some examples include:

                  WPR58- If offered, always choose a biscuit over toast at breakfast.
                  WPR21- Never pass up an outlet.
                  WPR102- Sometimes you have to cover AND hover. 
                  WPR8- If you're cute, it's not creepy.

Lauren and Bee wanted me to remember these so much that one of my wedding gifts was a Jenga game, where every game piece had a different rule or quote on it. We all live in different cities/states now, but I sure miss these ladies and think about them everyday whether or not we talk!

Us at our finest. 
One of our favorite go to meals, that we all still make to this day is Wolfpack Pasta. I think it came about from having an excess of pasta noodles and produce from Costco. This pasta dish is SUPER easy to make and feeds a crowd. If you are wanting to do more than just apps and serts for your Bachelorette Premier Party this would be a great option! Or maybe you do not know what you are going to make for dinner next, then try this recipe! No matter when you make it, it is always good!

Wolfpack Pasta

Serves  6-8

 1 box bowtie pasta
1 jar of your favorite pesto
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion
2 zucchini
1  large bell pepper (red or yellow)
8 oz. mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts (drained)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 lb. chicken breasts (optional)

 Heat large pan over medium heat. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. 

 Dice and chop all veggies into small bit sized pieces that are all similar in size.

 Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside. DO NOT rinse.

 Put on tablespoon of olive oil into pan and saute onion, zucchini and bell peppers. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until veggies are cooked but still crisp. Remove veggies from pan and set aside. 

 Add remaining olive oil to pan and saute the mushrooms, artichoke hearts and tomatoes, until just cooked.

 *If you are wanting chicken, place the remaining veggies with the others on a plate and cook diced up chicken breasts*

 Put everything, including noodles into the pan and pour the jar of pesto sauce over the ingredients. Stir until everything is coated and cook for an additional three-five minutes to make sure everything is heated through. Enjoy! 
Successfully dice without tears. Winning. 

Handy dandy way to cut peppers.
Make four slices straight down and then chop off the bottom.
No need for seeding. 

Feel free to not discriminate and use any color of bell pepper you wish. 

Try to keep all of your veggie bites the same size. 

Please use crimini mushrooms.
The only place white mushrooms belong are in a poorly lit salad bar.

If you do not have cherry tomatoes,  feel free to sub in Romas or another kind.
You will want to see them first though. 

Artichokes packed in water are preferable.
You will get enough oil in the pesto sauce. 

You can sub in your favorite shape of pasta.
Lauren always preferred bow tie because it was the most fun. 

Be careful your pasta water doesn't boil over!

Veggie saute, round one. 

Veggie saute, round two. 

Drain BUT DO NOT RINSE.
The starchiness will help with sauce stick. 

Use your favorite jar of pesto.
There are lots of yummy options.
Or be super fancy and make your own. 

Toss everything together in the pan and cook until heated. 

Enjoy!

Orzo Chicken Salad Recipe

A couple weeks ago I was in the Willamette Valley for a work trip. Whenever I am there I always try and meet up with my girlfriends who live in the area since we do not get to see each other very often, now that we have all grown up and live in different cities. Being an adult isn't fun sometimes. I was lucky enough to get to meet up with TWO of my BFFS this last time, so I was super excited!! 

My BFF Lauren, and I met up for dinner at one of the places we normally like to go to for good salads. We both share the similar quality of having over sensitive stomachs and hold the title of, "Most likely to get food poisoning," so salads are generally a safe bet...as long as they are not from a salad bar...which ironically we have both gotten food poisoning from at the same time. Anyway, we were very disappointed to find out the restaurant did not carry our go to Chicken Orzo Salad anymore and removed it and ALL orzo from it's menu. Poor orzo and poor us :(
I think this picture best describes LV and I. Also the other BFF I visited on the trip was the
VERY talented photographer and all around great person, Hannah O'Leary.
Check her out her photos, link in the photo.
If you have not ever had orzo or do not know what it is, I like to describe it as the rice of pasta. It is about the same size as rice but it is pasta. It is very versatile; you can eat it cold, warm, as a side dish, on top of salads, ect. If you have not ever had it, give it a try! 

One of my favorite ways to have orzo is in Chicken Orzo Salad. Even though I can no longer order this dish I can still make and enjoy it home. This is one of my favorite salads in general and Travis requests it often. This salad makes A LOT, so you should have plenty of leftovers if you are just making it for two or it is the perfect amount for a group of four. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, enjoy!



Chicken Orzo Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 2 Chicken Breasts
  • 2 tsp. Olive Oil
  • 1/2 C. Dry Orzo
  • 1 large head Romaine Lettuce
  • 2 Tomatoes
  • 1 Cucumber
  • 1 Jar Roasted Red Peppers
  • 1 Small Red Onion
  • 8-12 Kalamata Olives
  • 8 oz. Feta Cheese
  • Parmesan Cheese (Optional for Sprinkling on Top)
  • Your Favorite Italian Vinagrette or Homemade Vinagrette (I like to use Brianna's French Vinagrette or Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian)
Directions:
  • Heat pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and chicken breasts that have been sliced into thin strips. Season lightly to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder). Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Cook orzo according to package directions. Rinse, strain and set aside. 
  • Wash and dry lettuce and chop or tear into bite size pieces. Slice tomatoes into small chunks and thinly slice half of the red onion. Peel the cucumber (optional) and slice into chunks the same size as tomatoes. Slice the roasted red peppers into thin strips. Mix all of the vegetables together in a large bowl. Toss with feta cheese and kalamata olives.
  • Plate salad by layering: mixed salad, a scoop of cooked orzo and chicken breasts. Drizzle with your favorite dressing and top with shredded Parmesan cheese if you wish. Serve with warm french bread.
  • Store leftovers in the fridge, keeping orzo and chicken separate from the salad mix.