The recipe of the week is my favorite dish I made in the past 7 days...this week there was a clear cut hands down winner...Roasted Rainbow Orzo. Easy to make, great ingredients, a good way to get in lots of vegetables and, most importantly, a big hit with Mr. Allan. Here are some pictures and the recipe and it's source is listed below
One thing I loved about this recipe..it had tons of vegetables. If I'm making a pasta or grain dish, I always try to bulk it up with tons of veggies that will make a portion go a long way. I started with red and yellow peppers..
added in some eggplant and red onion. I think red onions are the devil. I normally despise them...but for some reason, when they're roasted or sauteed...I do okay with them. that also kind of goes for alot of other veggies that I'm not wild about...so I tend to roast alot of vegetables (especially in the winter time)..the taste is just so much better.
The main player in this dish...the orzo. I remember eating orzo in the good old Venus De Milo soup my mom and grandma made for us growing up. I can't say I've really made it too often outside that soup. I was happy to find that Whole Foods had a Whole Wheat Orzo
Just remember, if you're looking for a true whole wheat pasta or grain product..check your ingredients..you'll be surprised that many products say whole wheat and then have a host of ingredients...Just a note on this...I'd edit the whole post but, but instead will just point out my error.. this box of orzo is not whole wheat. As a reader pointed out, it's 100% duurm wheat but not whole wheat. As you can see by the comments below, I had 3 boxes of orzo in my pantry...2 were whole wheat and this one is not. Just to prove that reading your ingredient list can be tricky!
While the 1/2 lb of whole wheat orzo cooked and the vegetables roasted in the oven, I halved some grape tomatoes, cut some basil into thin strips and cut up 4 oz of mozzarella. The recipe called for a smoked mozzarella, which I couldn't find, so I bought a local one from Narragansett Creamery and it turned out perfect!
My veggies after being roasted for 35 minutes
I tossed the orzo and veggies with a lemon, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette...
I added in the cheese, tomatoes, and basil...
The final product...I guess it does resemble a Rainbow Orzo Salad
What I liked about this dish...I served it on the side of baked Tilapia (yeah for me following through on a New Year's Resolution to eat more fish!). I liked it because normally I'd prepare some type of starch and vegetable, but this dish had both and saved me an extra side dish. It was delicious hot and I think it'd be fantastic cold. I could have even done away with the cheese to say a couple extra calories. It worked perfectly with the fish and would've been fantastic on the side of chicken or beef as well.
So..where did I get it...off of this great site...
Roasted Rainbow Orzo Salad
1 medium eggplant, cut into a 1-inch dice
1 large yellow pepper, chopped1 large orange pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ lb of whole-wheat orzo
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 scallions, chopped
4 oz smoked mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup of thinly sliced basil leaves
Toss eggplant, peppers, and onion in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread out amongst two rimmed baking sheets and pop into a 425 degree oven for 30-40 minutes stirring once half way through.
While the veggies are roasting, cook the orzo according to the package directions.
In the meantime combine lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk everything together and season with salt and pepper.
Once the veggies and orzo have cooked toss them together in a large bowl and pour vinegar mixture over the top. Combine well.
Finish the salad with scallions, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Adjust seasonings and serve at room temperature.
Enjoy!
looks amazing!!! what's the nutritional info?
ReplyDeleteHere's the nutrional infor for a 3/4 cup serving (the recipe makes 8 servings)
ReplyDeleteCalories: 236; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 2.5g; Cholesterol: 9mg; Carbohydrate: 31.2g; Dietary Fiber: 7.6g; Sugars: 5.1; Protein: 8.5g
You can save some of the fat and calories by eliminating the cheese...the vegetables are the star of this dish and I don't know if the mozzarella was really an essential component!
i noticed on the orzo package it says "100% organic durham wheat" not 100% organic WHOLE durham wheat"... so that option seems not to be whole wheat.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right! I had three boxes of Orzo in my pantry. I just looked and 2 are whole wheat and the other is durum wheat. Thanks go pointing it out!
ReplyDelete