Tag: colorful food

Lemon Orzo with Spinach & Veggies

The other night my husband and I were trying to come up with an unusual side dish to pair with a brisket I had cooking in the crockpot and this dish was born.

We wanted something flavorful and bright that could be a little acidic to go with the rich brisket.

This was a hit. It takes a little time, but it’s easy and the result is crazy delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper diced or 3-4 small bell peppers sliced into small rings
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 sliced red onion (OPTIONAL)
  • 1 cup Orzo
  • 32 ounces of chicken stock (use veggie stock if you’re vegetarian)
  • 2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning (use your favorite-I use the kind that comes in a grinder)
  • 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
  • 1 container of fresh baby spinach
  • Zest of 3-4 lemons, juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and peppers until the onion is softened but not all the way cooked.
  • Add the garlic, cook until fragrant (only 1-2 minutes).
  • Stir in the orzo to toast it in the pan. (About 5 minutes) At this point you may want to add a splash more olive oil IF needed. Also add the red onion.
  • Season with half the Italian seasoning. Keep stirring.
  • Add 2 cups of the chicken broth. Let it simmer until the broth is absorbed by the orzo. Stir in the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Add 2 more cups of broth, stirring and simmering until all the broth is absorbed. I used the entire box of broth.
  • Stir in more Italian seasoning
  • Off the heat, stir in the fresh spinach, dill, chives and the rest of the lemon zest.
Toasting the orzo in the olive oil prior to adding the liquid.
First couple of cups of broth added. Stir and simmer until the orzo absorbs it, then add more.
Liquid just about absorbed, ready for more.
We served this dish with the best beef brisket ever! That recipe is coming soon!

Delicata Squash & Onions with Tomatoes!

I like to try new things. On a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, I spied a pretty display of different types of squash. My eye kept going to the pretty Delicata Squash and so I picked two of them. Here’s what I did with them.

I have had two delicata squash’ sitting on my counter for the past month (yes, MONTH!). They arrived in my home in much the same way a lot of things do: impulse purchase at Trader Joe’s! Last night I decided I was tired of looking at them, so I did a quick search through some recipes on the Internet to see what to do with them. Nothing appealed to me so I decided to put together my own using ingredients I had on hand.

I have an abundance of fresh herbs in my garden so I picked some thyme and some tarragon. I also had about a quarter of a bag of basil sun-dried tomatoes to get rid of. I hate those things, but my husband loves them, so I indulged him. Next I simply cut the squash in half, cored it and sliced it and then sliced a couple of Spanish onions. (I would have loved to use red onions for their color, but we were out.) Lastly, I threw in the last of a bag of baby Roma tomatoes mostly for color.

Pretty, isn’t it?

If you have never had Delicata squash, it tastes like a cross between butternut, acorn and yellow squash. They told me at the store that it is sweeter, but I found it to be milder. It’s not as dense as acorn and butternut and not as watery as yellow squash. I found it to be a perfect mixture and I love the fact that the skin is so thin, it can be eaten. (No need to peel! Yay!)

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I greased a casserole dish, sprinkled in some of my fresh thyme leaves and a few cloves of garlic and then I put down my slices, alternating between the squash and the onion. Last but not least, I sprinkled on the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the last of a bag of baby Roma tomatoes.

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Once I was satisfied with how it looked, I melted about 3 Tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil along with more thyme leaves and tarragon. I drizzled the mixture over the top of the squash and onions and tomatoes.

I covered it with foil and baked it at 400 degrees for the first 20 minutes, then I uncovered it and baked it 30 minutes more (until it was fork tender.)

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Let me tell you. I am a fan of this squash and this dish. The next time I make it, however, I will come up with some form of sauce to bring it all together. This could have easily been done on a sheet pan with no particular order, but I liked this presentation for the table.

I decided to pair this with blackened sword fish (recipe is coming next ), and roasted green beans and it was delicious.

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Ingredients:
2 small Delicata Squash
2 Onions (use what you like)
10 sprigs (or more) of fresh thyme
10 sprigs (or more) of fresh tarragon
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
4 Tbsp. butter (use REAL butter!)
10 (or more cherry tomatoes) I used baby Roma tomatoes
3 Tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the squash length-wise. Core and then slice into wedges.
Slice the onions the same size as the squash.
Grease a baking dish. (anyway you like. I used coconut oil spray)
Sprinkle down about ¼ of your fresh herbs.
Crush the garlic and add it to the pan as well.
Put down the squash and onions, alternating between the two.
Add the tomatoes and the sun-dried tomatoes on top.
Melt the butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil with remaining herbs and drizzle all over the top of the vegetables.
Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake 30 minutes more (or until fork tender).

Now say, “Delicata, Delicata, Delicata!” (because it’s fun to say!

 

 

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