Tonight's meal is a definite keeper and one that is simple to make. It only took about 20 minutes to do so it's also one you could make after a long day at work. It should come to no surprise that I got the recipe from the Skinnytaste website. It can be found here.
Review: This meal was quick and easy to make. It took about 20 minutes and took essentially two ingredients. While it is basically just rice and broccoli it has a little more flavor than rice because of the orzo. I have never had orzo before, or at least didn't know I was eating it if so, but I really liked the flavor. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta. It tastes like it has a mixture of cheese and butter already in it so it gives it a more prominent flavor than regular rice. While it is not as healthy as brown rice, like I usually cook with now, it is a nice change up. I used a couple boxes of orzo and two pounds of broccoli so I would have enough to have multiple meals but if you go by the directions you should be able to get about four servings out of it. As far as the directions go, it says to steam the broccoli in one pot and then cook the rice in another but I cooked the rice and after a couple minutes poured the broccoli into the same pot as the orzo, put a lid on it and let the steam from that cook the broccoli. Doing it that way lets all the flavors mix together, saves time and more importantly as far as I'm concerned reduces the amount of dirty dishes. Oh, and I also didn't cut the stems off the broccoli before steaming it or chop them into smaller pieces. I felt like the florets were small enough that that was an unnecessary step. Although I used minced garlic in a jar, I still sauteed it in a pan and moved the broccoli from the pot to the pan for a couple minutes before putting the garlic and the broccoli back into the pot with the orzo. Overall though this was a really delicious and hearty meal that I can't wait to have more of and make again soon.
Recipe:
- 4.5 oz uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups of fresh broccoli florets only (no stems)
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
- 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and fresh pepper to taste
Trim stems off broccoli, cut into small pieces and season with salt. Steam covered with a little water until cooked, careful not to overcook. When the broccoli is cooked, remove from the pan and chop into smaller pieces. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted water as directed for al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup liquid before draining. Drain orzo in a colander and add the oil to the pot. Saute the garlic a few minutes until golden, add the broccoli and season with salt and mix well. Add the orzo and stir to combine all. Add a little reserved liquid as needed so the pasta isn't dry. Serve with freshly grated cheese if desired (optional).
