Three Exciting Things

Thing One: In 5 months we will be celebrating our THREE YEAR anniversary. Yet, until yesterday, we didn't own a cheese grater. That's right, folks, through more than two-and-a-half years of marriage, we have managed to survive without a pretty necessary kitchen gadget. Well, yesterday we bought one. And this is it:

We bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond, along with this little gem:

Thing Two: A grill pan. We watch way too much Food Network not to own one of these. We used the two exciting things mentioned above to create this:

Thing Three: Beyond fabulous orzo-stuffed peppers and balsamic grilled chicken. SOOOOO unbelievably yummy. We watched Giada make the peppers a few days ago and decided we had to try them. Because we are carnivors and can't make a meal without some kind of meat, we added the balsamic chicken on the side, because we thought the flavors would complement eachother. Of course, we are kitchen geniuses and were correct. Chad and I both agreed this is the best new recipe we've tried in awhile. If you want to give these dishes a shot, here's how:

For the chicken:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. garlic

salt and pepper

Marinade the chicken for about 30 minutes, then grill it.

For the peppers:

1 14-ounce can Italian tomatoes (we used the diced ones and drained them)

1 zucchini, grated

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (we used 1 tablespoon dried mint)

1/4 cup grated Ramano, plus more for sprinkling (we used about a 1/2 cup and some more)

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 and a half cloves garlic, minced (we used 1 tsp. of the jar we have in our refrigerator)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup orzo

4 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and

pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve (we used a slotted spoon) to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tops of the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds.

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese, and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes.

Seriously. This is SO GOOD!

P.S. I am having some formatting issues with my blog. It won't let me paragraph ANYTHING. If I indent at all, or add spaces after paragraphs, they are gone once I post the blog. Does anyone know how to fix this problem? Because I am a little OCD about these kinds of things. Thanks.