This chicken and orzo soup is amazing and perfect for a cold winter night. Now that winter has arrived, Scott and I plan on staying on the boat a few winter nights to see if we like it. There’s something romantic and cozy about bundling up on a cold night and making homemade soup.
Everyone loves homemade chicken soup, but it can also take a few hours to make (if you are making your own broth). The best part about this chicken orzo and kale soup, is that it’s not only tasty, but it takes just a few minutes to make. That makes for the perfect soup recipe on a boat, when you don’t have a lot of time or space.
One great thing about this chicken & orzo kale soup recipe, is that you can alter it however you wish. Don’t like kale? Use spinach. Don’t like orzo? Use cooked wild rice. The most important thing to remember, is to have your favorite blanket and a movie ready for after dinner. Enjoy!
In a Dutch oven or large stock pot heat oil and saute carrots for 2 minutes. Add celery and yellow onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add bay leaf, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken, orzo, crushed red pepper and curly kale. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty warm bread.
What’s for Breakfast? Try our Red Bell Pepper & Onion Frittata!
I love to make a frittata when we stay on the boat. They are so easy, especially when you use the Xpress Redi Set Go Cooker. Scott bought two of these portable ovens long before we bought Kokomo, with the intention of using them on the boat.
We use our Xpress Redi oven for things like pizza, baking chicken, grilled cheese sandwiches and toasting bagels.
For this frittata recipe, you can either saute’ the veggies first or simply add them to your egg mixture. Give yourself at least 10-15 minutes for it to cook completely in the center. Be careful when you serve it, as it will be piping hot! Enjoy!
Remove any dividers in the Redi Oven and pre-heat it. Whisk the eggs with the milk and add seasonings, veggies and cheese.
Spray the Redi Oven with non-stick spray and carefully pour in the egg mixture. Make sure to leave some room, as the egg will expand. Otherwise it will overflow. Close the lid and cook for about 12-15 minutes until cooked in the center.
Using a spatula, remove the frittata to a plate and cut into quarters. Serve with your favorite side dish or fresh fruit.
Recipe Notes
If you are not using the Redi Oven, you can use an omlet pan that is oven safe. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray the pan with non-stick spray and heat on medium high. Pour in the egg mixture and cook on the stove top for about 2 minutes.
Move the pan to the oven and continue cooking until the center is thoroughly cooked, about 12 minutes.
This antipasto chicken salad recipe is perfect has a meal and it’s very easy to make. I make this recipe all year round, not just during the summer. You can add more meat to it for a heartier dish and serve it with warm crunchy bread for the perfect meal.
When Scott and I first bought our boat Kokomo, I didn’t think we would prepare that many meals on board. But once we fell in love with being at our marina, enjoying the views of DT Seattle, I love to eat on board. The biggest challenge I have is working in a small space with not a lot of counter space. With that said, I buy ingredients that are already cooked or prepared when I make meals on our boat.
In this recipe, I will either pre-make the chicken at home or buy cooked chicken from the deli at Safeway. You could also use a rotisserie chicken too. Enjoy!
This hearty salad is perfect for a hungry dinner crowd. Buy cooked chicken from the grocery store deli, add crunchy bread and you have dinner prepared!
Whisk the vinaigrette dressing ingredients until blended together. When ready to serve, toss salad ingredients with dressing (use as little or as much to your taste). Serve immediately with a warm baguette.
This smoked salmon pasta is probably the top favorite recipe I have been making over the past five years. It all started when I owned our wine shop, The Wine Alley and we started carrying a local smoked salmon. Steve’s Hot Smoked Salmon, is made locally in Buckley. It’s unlike any other smoked salmon you will try. It’s extremely moist and super flavorful! You can get this at The Wine Alley or at some local grocery stores.
Don’t try and serve this simply as an appetizer by itself, unless you have more than one filet. It will disappear in literally five minutes as I learned the hard way.
How the Smoked Salmon Pasta came to life
Back to the smoked salmon pasta dish! Scott and I were working late one night and I didn’t have time to go to the grocery store, but I knew I had some salmon in the fridge at the wine shop. I decided to whip up a simple pasta dish and when I say simple, that’s exactly what this is! It only has a handful of ingredients and it is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. It also would be super easy to make on a boat! Enjoy!
Make pasta according to the directions.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute' onions until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with garlic salt, ground pepper and parsley. Add whipping cream, stirring frequently. To thicken, mix corn starch with water and gradually pour into cream mixture. If it gets too thick, then add some pasta water until you get the consistency you like. Add smoked salmon, breaking it up into bite size pieces. Stir in capers and cooked pasta. Stir in parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Pasta, chicken, kale, mushrooms and whatever else is in the fridge. The other day I found a recipe for chicken soup with mushrooms. It sounded delicious and I was planning on making it. However, Scott only eats soup on a cold blustery day (yes, this is true!) and it happened to be a nice sunny day.
I’m not one to waste ingredients, so I wondered, what else could I make? I’ve been trying to use up tons of my veggies in the fridge and so I decided to whip up a quick pasta! This is so easy and filling. You can easily make it on the boat for a crowd! Enjoy!
There is a lot more in this pasta than chicken, kale and mushrooms. In fact, you could add any of your favorite veggies too! This is a very rich and hearty dish, perfect for cold boating season.
Cook pasta according to the directions, drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add onions and mushrooms. Saute' until tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, bacon and kale. Season with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add whipping cream and chicken and blend well. Cook for another 5 minutes until thickened. To make the sauce thicker, in a small bowl, whisk corn starch with 2 tbsp. of water and add to skillet. Add cooked pasta to the mixture and mix in parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
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. Scott bought two of these portable ovens long before we bought 
