Grilled Chicken and Peaches with Green Beans and Orzo

This was the BEST summer dish! So good. We all loved it. Even the company that we had over. One of the firefighters that my husband works with came over and for some reason I always try out new recipes on company, hoping it will turn out...and it did! I can't wait to have this again. Yum. It was super fast to put together and the fresh summer ingredients really made this meal!

2 cups dried orzo

2 1/2  fresh green beans

1 lb. chicken tenders

2-3 peaches, cut in wedges

dried thyme

salt and pepper

olive oil
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil (I added a couple chicken bouillon cubes for more flavor). Toss your orzo in and cook for 8-10 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add in your green beans to cook them. Don't drain until I tell you to :)
2. While your pasta is cooking, brush your chicken with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle both sides with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Also brush your peaches with a little oil. You do NOT want your peaches to stick to the grill. That is bad. Put your chicken and peaches on the grill and cook about 4 minutes a side on medium/high heat. You want those pretty grill marks on your peaches too. I actually didn't flip my peaches. I just let them heat through on one side and the marks were there without having to fiddle with them and it turned out perfect.
3. When your chicken is done and your pasta is done drain your pasta and beans and then return them to the pot. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese right in there and sprinkle some salt and pepper too. Toss that all together. Taste and see if you need more seasoning. Then plate by giving a nice mound of pasta and beans topped with sliced chicken and peach wedges. SO. GOOD. Enjoy!

* Add some muffins and you are set!

Pesto Tortellini

This is a great fresh summer dish.  Only three ingredients! It is light, meat free, and you can't beat the clean herb flavor. This comes together quick with fresh pasta tortellini and is one of my favorite pasta dishes. Just add a colorful fruit salad and fresh tomatoes on the side and dinner is served!

Ingredients:

16 oz. package of fresh cheese filled tortellini (it is in the refrigerated section by the cheese)
1 package of Knnor brand pesto (it comes in a package by packaged taco seasoning and it is a dry mixture)
fresh Parmesan cheese

1. See, only three ingredients but tons of flavor. Ok, so first get your pasta cooking. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Probably around 9-11 minutes. While the pasta is cooking make your pesto.
2. About pesto. You can certainly buy a container of already made pesto at your grocery store but I just make my own to control the fat and calorie content.
3.  I stray away from the back of the package directions. I pour the dry pesto into a small sauce pan. Then I add 2 tablespoons of low-fat Italian dressing (you can also use olive oil too). I turn the heat to medium and then add water a little bit at a time and stir your sauce using a whisk. By adding water a little bit at a time you can decided how thick or thin you want your sauce. So add water until you reach the consistency you like. Pesto has a strong but good herb flavor so it won't look like a lot but it will be....... don't worry :)
4. Before your drain your pasta, dip a measuring cup in the pasta water to save some of starchy water for later. Ok, now drain your pasta and return it back to the pot is was cooking. Now, pour your pesto over your tortellini and toss to coat. If your pasta seems a bit dry, just add a splash of the starchy pasta water.
5. Plate your pasta and grate fresh Parmesan cheese right on top.