Chicken with Asparagus and Parmesan

Total Time: 35 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: The Best Chicken Recipe

This is an alternative to the Spinach and Feta version that I tried last week and just thought was OK. Well, I realized I had made a few mistakes with that one, and that I could use less lemon in this version.

So, I tried this version and liked it more. I remembered to toast the orzo first, used Penzey's Chicken Base (a new ingredient for me that I like, as an alternative to Chicken Broth which is expensive.) I also used just about 1/2 T of lemon juice in the recipe and no zest, which was a lot less, but just right for me. I think it added a tiny note, but didn't overpower the flavor of the parmesan and asparagus.

I also remembered to prep most of the ingredients before starting, so this recipe took less time than the Spinach version. I have a habit of trying to prep while things are cooking. Sometimes that saves time, but sometimes it makes things worse and stresses me out. Plus I make mistakes, like forgetting to toast the orzo!

I cut up the chicken and stirred the pieces into the orzo. I prefered this, because it allowed the chicken to get more flavor. I skipped the oil drizzle at the end. It didn't need it.

Asparagus Omelet

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Grade: B+

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (May 2007)

I stink at making omelets. The pulling of the eggs up allowing uncooked to go under made me have an omelet that was really thick around the edges and skinny in the middle. So it wasn't as pretty as it should be. But it tasted good. I mostly stick to eggs dishes where I can scramble the eggs, and that won't change, but this recipe is decent. I did lighten it a bit with less butter and cheese, but I liked using the asparagus.