Orzo Mac n’ Carrots and Cheese
- At September 9, 2010
- By megan
- In carrot, Cheddar Cheese, Orzo
0
I made WAY TOO MUCH orzo one night for a simple orzo and pesto dish. I don’t know what I was thinking… Why did I keep adding orzo to the pot of boiling water? Did I not think it was going to expand and take over the pot?
Well, it did. I had so much orzo left over that I needed to make something else with it because I really try to avoid wasting food. Since it is carrot season, I decided to make my Macaroni and Carrots and Cheese using orzo rather than traditional macaroni. Turned out to be a great idea.
I added some fire roasted green chilies that I got from my CSA with Ollin Farms to spice it up a bit, and served it with an avocado and tomato salad. Nothing went to waste.
If you are a fan of baked mac n’ cheese, give my Mac n’ Carrots and Cheese a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and pleasantly stuffed.
Creamy Orzo Salad
- At July 4, 2009
- By megan
- In beans, caramelized onion, Feta Cheese, Orzo, Peppers, salad, Spinach
- 0
This orzo salad, served cold, is a nice change from the typical pasta salad eaten in the summer.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Orzo
- 2-3 cups fresh, raw spinach
- 1 yellow pepper, chopped or sliced
- 1 red pepper, chopped or sliced
- 1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans
- 1 yellow or sweet onion
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1 TB honey
- 1 TB cider vinegar
- fresh ground black pepper
Slice the onion. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and start to cook the onion on medium low heat until it turns a nice golden brown and caramelizes. This could take 40 minutes or more, so plan for this time lag in advance. When the onion is done, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon to keep most of the olive oil in the pan. Place the onion in a dish to cool.
Start to boil water and cook the orzo just like you prepare pasta. Drain and rinse in cold water.
While the onion caramelizes and the orzo boils, chop the spinach and the peppers. As soon as the caramelized onion is removed from the pan, add the peppers and cook them for a few minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon to reserve the rest of the olive oil for the spinach. Saute the spinach for one minute or so, just until it wilts.
In a large bowl, combine the orzo, spinach, peppers, and kidney beans. Then, turn to the food processor. Combine the caramelized onion, feta, honey, vinegar, and fresh ground pepper. Puree this into a creamy sauce and mix into the orzo salad.
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