Orzotto

I know... I know... It's been a while!
The holidays always have me trying so many new recipes, it can be overwhelming and often times I find myself being overly ambitious (Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Brownies??). So today we are visiting an old stand by. I've been cooking this "orzotto" recipe longer than I've had this blog, so I'm surprised actually that it hasn't made it's way to these pages yet. 

I first came across this recipe for Lemon Basil Orzotto on the Cooking Channel in 2011. I loved the idea of a risotto made with pasta, it as like a light-bulb going off in my head. And this recipe is so simple that it quickly became my go-to dinner dish when I needed something fast and delicious. I started with whole wheat orzo pasta to add an extra layer of flavor, and because I think it's got sucha  a great bite and it's so good for you. But soon I found myself adapting the recipe to use seasonal vegetables, or sometimes just whatever I could find in my kitchen. This is the perfect recipe to share with friends and family because of how easy it is to variate this dish so that it's always fresh and exciting, every time you make it.

Butternut Squash variation I posted on my Instagram in 2013

For this post, I used asparagus, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms because they are three flavors I just can't get enough of in the fall. There is something so earthy and grounding about the taste of this dish. I want to just carry my plate to the couch and put on a movie.

My sister recently borrowed this recipe for a dinner party and said that is was "by far the crowd favorite". 

Enjoy!

Asparagus, Zucchini and Mushroom Orzotto

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter (optional) 
• 1/2 onion diced 
• 1 1/2 cups orzo 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I usually have a heavy hand here) 
• 3 cups vegetable stock or broth (Rapunzel Bouillon is my favorite) 
• 1 zucchini quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus chopped 
• 1 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms diced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano) 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or soy cream 
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Tips: 

• Choose a wine that you like to drink. Sacrifice 1/2 cup to your dish, and pour yourself a glass while you man the stove. 

• Substitute Farro or Pearl Barley for the Orzo.

• Toast your pine nuts for 2 minutes in a dry sauce pan to bring out the flavor. (Keep and eye on 'em, they burn quickly!) 
• Prepare your veggies a day ahead for even quicker cook time. 

• Add garlic at anytime. 

Directions:

step one. Prepare your veggies. If you don't have a steamer, you can poach your asparagus by dropping into boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then transferring to an ice bath. For my zucchini and mushrooms, I like to add 2 tbsp of butter to a skillet  on med-high heat and stir occasionally until everything browns a little. Mushrooms LOVE butter so don't be surprised if they soak it all up! Set vegetables aside. 

step two. Bring your broth to a boil.

step three. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until fragrant and translucent. Add the orzo and toast until you see some browning on the grain (this will keep the pasta al dente). stir occasionally. 

step four. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. 

step five. Gradually add your vegetable broth (1 cup at a time), stirring frequently until the liquid is almost absorbed and orzo is tender. Remove from the heat. 

step six. Fold in vegetables, cheese, and cream. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with Pine Nuts. 

Serving suggestion: 

Served with mixed green salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.

 

All Seasons Tarte

   It pains me to say that I haven't been cooking much lately. Since the holidays really. I guess I should have made a resolution to keep up my blog, but I was doing so well, I did not foresee what shortfalls were ahead of me. So, I apologize. And with the spring upon us, guaranteed, I'll be cooking up some fresh seasonal goodies to fill your kitchen for the months to come.
  
Next week for example, I'm taking on my second catering task. My sister and I will be providing food for 100 guests at my mom's first annual garden party. We'll be serving up tiny sandwiches, caprese kabobs, and yummy finger desserts. So I can at least promise a few recipes in advance that will be great for your upcoming summer get-togethers.

    But first, a long awaited tarte recipe. This is not the same as a quiche (you can see my first quiche and crust recipe here), it's a tarte, because it contains more veggies than egg mixture, a quiche is slightly more eggy, but to me, they are really the same thing. I made this tarte for Christmas dinner, but I thought it was still appropriate for Easter, so here it is, 'The All-Seasons Tarte'.


notes on the recipe:
  Of course, I made my own crust, but it's alright to buy a pie or pastry crust form the store. Prepping and cooking could take close to two hours, and this on definitely calls for a grocery list, but it is SO worth it. This tarte is all the reward you will need in the end. 
   

The All-Seasons Tarte

(Published in 'Plenty' by Yotam Ottolenghi as the 'Very Full Tart')

Ingredients: 

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 5 tablesoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium eggplants (aubergine), cut into 1-inch dice
• 2 medium sweet potato (kumara) , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 medium zucchini (courgette), cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 medium onions, cut in half and then cut in thin wedges
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 purchased or homeade pie or shortcrust pastry
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs, picked
• 4 ounces Ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces Feta cheese
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup half and half
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

step one. 
    Preheat oven to 450?F (230?C). Cover a large baking sheet with foil.

step two. 
    Cut peppers in half and discard seeds and stem. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and place on one side of the prepared sheet pan.

step three. 
    On the opposite side of the baking sheet, combine the eggplant with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 12 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes to the eggplant and stir to combine. Roast for another 12 minutes, then add zucchini, return to oven and roast 12 more minutes. After a total roasting time of 36 minutes the peppers should be charred in places and the other veggies golden and quite fragrant. Remove from oven and immediately cover the peppers with foil. Once the peppers are cool, the skin will easily slip off. Remove the skins and cut into 1″ pieces.

step four.
    While the veggies are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions with the bay leaves and a half teaspoon of salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, soft and sweet. Discard the bay leaves and set aside.

step five.
    Reduce oven temperature to 375?F (160?C). Line a 11-inch shallow tart pan (or a 9-inch deep tart pan) with pastry crust. Blind-bake the crust by lining it with parchment paper, then fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, lift out the paper and beans (or rice), and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

step six. 
     Spread the onions over the bottom of baked tart crust, then top with roasted vegtables. Scatter with half the thyme and dot with small chunks of both cheeses, then the tomato halves, cut-side up. Whisk the eggs and cream with a half teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and pour into the tart; the tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme on top. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the filling sets and turns golden. Rest for at least 10 minutes, then remove the tart from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.

enjoy!