When you have a lot of vegetables and are not sure what to do with them, try this recipe. The orzo reminds me of a rice based dish, but in reality it is more like a pasta salad. You can mix up any kinds of vegetables to get a different taste or feel. I meant to put kale into this salad, but once the roasted leaves came out of my oven, I devoured them. If you can resist try them in this salad. Roasting the vegetables sweetens the vegetables which makes this salad. If you haven't cooked with orzo before, you should try it. It cooks up easily and mixes well with any variety of vegetables and dressings. The inspiration for this salad came from 101 cookbooks author Heidi Swanson. If you haven't checked out her blog you should.
Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad
Roasted vegetables (I used brussel sprouts, broccoli, leeks, garlic and onions)
olive oil
salt
1 1/4 cups orzo (uncooked)
plain yogurt
Preheat oven to 400F. Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper (depends on how many vegetables you are roasting). Cut all the vegetables (about 5-6 cloves of garlic) into similar sized pieces so they will all roast at the same rate. Toss all the vegetables with olive oil and salt. Bake for about 30 minutes. Toss once or twice to make sure everything is roasted evenly.
Put water on to boil to cook the orzo. Add salt. When boiling add the orzo and cook according to package instructions. Remove and run under cool water. Toss with a little olive oil. For dressing, remove the shell from the roasted garlic and mash it with a little salt and yogurt. Add more yogurt (about a half cup in total) and add more garlic to taste.
When ready to serve, toss the orzo, roasted vegetables and yogurt (start with half and adjust for taste). For topping you can use toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds, and/or scallions.
Eating quiche always makes me think of the those watery ones that my family would eat at church on Easter after the very early sunrise service. Despite the not good as you might think eggs, I liked them. I liked the tradition that went with eating the ham and eggs. While this is not that same quiche, it is a while lot better. It is based off of Keepers (Brennan and Campion) broccoli quiche. I don't always like the combination of the eggs and cheese, but this one is well balanced and the cheese is not rubbery at all. Plus, because there isn't a crust, it can be made very quickly. If you like quiche for dinner, this would make for a quick week night meal.
Broccoli and Cheese Quiche
3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 large head of broccoli) or a combination of broccoli and cauliflower
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
1 cup 2% milk (though you can use any the creamier the better)
2/3 heavy whipping cream
6 eggs
nutmeg
pepper
salt
butter or oil to grease the pie plate
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 10 inch pie plate. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with salt. (This keeps the broccoli green.) When boiling, add the broccoli, stir and blanch for just a minute or two. Drain the broccoli and rinse with cold water (to stop the cooking). Dry the broccoli and place in the bottom of the grease pie plate. Add the cheese evenly over the broccoli.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, nut (a pinch or two to taste), 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper (also to taste). Whisk until smooth and then pour over the cheese. Bake until the egg mixture is just set in the center, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool a little before serving.
I am always trying to find more ways to get my husband to eat more vegetables. It isn't that he doesn't like them, but it is easier to eat crackers or just a hamburger without any sides than to go to the troubles of adding vegetables to the mix. I was reading through super natural every day by Heidi Swanson. (Her 101cookbooks blog is excellent.) I tried to pick out a couple of recipes which I could try out and even have my husband request again. This recipe for Tortellini Salad was one of the recipes I made, and which he requested to eat again. Fortunately, both broccoli and asparagus were fresh in the grocery store and so I happily got both. I had been thinking about what to do with them both when I read this recipe again which contained both of the chosen ingredients.
This is a super simple recipe to prepare, and particularly when I am being a little lazy or don't have much time during the week. I even went through some of the steps with my husband as I am always trying to find recipes which he will take up cooking so I can continue to experiment with more.
Tortellini Salad: adapted from super natural every day
about 16 oz fresh tortellini filled with cheese
12 thin asparagus spears (cut into 1.5-2 inch pieces)
1 small crown of broccoli (more if you really like broccoli)
1-2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
fresh parsley (equivalent to about 1/4-1/2 cup finely chopped)
1/3 cup pine nuts - roasted
1 medium avocado
Method:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook tortellini according to package directions. About a minute before the tortellini is done, add the broccoli and asparagus to quick cook them. Drain everything and place under cold water to stop the cooking. Make the dressing: press the garlic and mix with a little salt, add lemon juice and olive oil. Whisk together.
When ready to serve, toss the tortellini, broccoli, asparagus, and parsley with the dressing. Add the pine nuts and avocado. Toss gently to mix ingredients.
Serves: about 4
Certified International Sienna 5-Pc. Pasta Bowl Set (Google Affiliate Ad)Certified International Sienna 5-Pc. Pasta Bowl Set (Google Affiliate Ad)
