These kitchen sink orzo bowls are delicious and a new favorite go-to dinner option in our house, super flexible and you can use whatever ingredients you have lying about…you know, everything but the kitchen sink!

Last week when I went to the farmer’s market I had no idea what I was going to be making for dinner that night (despite having a meal plan ready…yeah, sometimes I don’t follow it, I’m only human). I decided to see what vegetables I could find at the market and go from there. Then I came home, rummaged through the cabinets and fridge and discovered a package of whole wheat orzo. The result of all this searching and finding is today’s recipe, kitchen sink orzo bowls.

This is a very flexible recipe. Pretty much the only ingredient you have to have is orzo! Olive oil, onions, tomatoes, salt and pepper are also pretty necessary, too, but beyond that you can throw all kinds of yummy veggies and even chicken or fish with success. As a result of all this flexibility, I don’t have any measurements for you on this recipe. I’ll describe the technique and the approximate amounts of ingredients I used and then I encourage you to take this recipe and make it your own. And your own version will probably even change depending on the season or what is in your fridge on a particular day.

The final result is a very homey, tasty dish, reminiscent of a classic casserole but much healthier. If you’re craving risotto but don’t feel like cooking risotto, this is a great alternative, providing a similar texture and flavor without the long cooking process. Enjoy!

Kitchen Sink Orzo Bowls

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• Whole wheat orzo pasta (Definitely go whole wheat here! It's more nutritious and tastes the same! My favorite brand is Delallo Organic.)
• Olive oil, a few tablespoons
• Onion, about ¼-1/2 of an onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
• Cherry Tomatoes, halved, above one pint (you could also chop appx. 2 whole tomatoes)
• Fresh vegetables, whatever you have lying around (I used 2 fresh summer squash)
• Cooked chicken, chopped or shredded depending on your preference (About 1-2 chicken breasts' or a few thighs' worth of meat, I like the chicken to be grilled)
• Dry white wine, ¼-1/2 cup or so (optional)
• White balsamic vinegar, a few tablespoons (optional)
• Pasta water, reserve 2-3 cups
• Salt and Pepper
• Spices and herbs if you like: parsley, oregano, basil are all good options (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare orzo pasta as directed on the package. Drain, reserving 2-3 cups of the pasta water, and then set aside both the water and the orzo. I used about ¾ of a package of Delallo Whole Wheat Orzo to feed our family of 5 with some leftovers.
2. In a deep, 12-inch skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook a few minutes until translucent.
3. Add fresh garlic and cook, stirring, about 30-60 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium low and let mixture cook for 5-10 minutes to really get the tomatoes to cook down.
4. If using wine, add it now and cook about 5 minutes. Add vegetables and cook a few minutes until the veggies are al dente. (If you are using vegetables like carrots that take longer to cook, steam them ahead of time and just heat through at this point in the recipe.) If you aren't using wine and need a little more fluid in the pan, just add another swig or two of olive oil.
5. Add the orzo to the pan. Add the white balsamic vinegar and then start adding pasta water about ½ cup at a time until you get a nice, creamy consistency. Salt and pepper to taste, adding herbs and spices if you choose. I simply used salt and pepper and it tasted great!

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OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

• Southwestern Salmon Orzo Salad
• Pat’s Orzo Salad
• Simple Cream Sauce for Pasta

EQUIPMENT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

• Cuisinart 12-Inch Skillet with Glass Lid
• Cuisinart 4-Quart Saucepan
• OXO Silicone Spatula
• Wusthof Classic Chef’s Knife
• Olive Oil Cruet
• Delallo Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta

My mother-in-law Pat made a super yummy orzo salad for us on the Cape last week. It was simple and oh-so-tasty. A definite keeper of a recipe and perfect for summertime!

Pat said normally the feta is all mixed in, unlike what you see in the photo. But a certain brother-in-law of mine doesn’t like feta (what the what?!?!), so we sprinkled it on top so Cuyler could pick it out easily. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, Pat’s a good mother-in-law.

Happy Orzo salading!

Orzo Salad Yumminess

 

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Adapted by Pat Maynard from a recipe from Jean Harford of Gregg Lake

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo, cooked and drained well
• 1 small red pepper chopped
• shaved carrots
• parsley (and dill if desired)
• 2-3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup black beans or chick peas, rinsed and well drained
• 1 small can sweet corn, drained
• ground black pepper
• 8 – 10 sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped or sliced
• ¼ cup feta, crumbled
• ⅓-1/2 cup Greek salad dressing (Ken’s Steakhouse and Newman’s Own are great)

Instructions

1. Mix orzo with dressing once it has cooled a bit, breaking up any clumps. Refrigerate while you put together the other ingredients. Combine with orzo and refrigerate to combine flavors. Can adjust by taking away any of the above ingredients and adding others such as grape tomatoes, shrimp, cucumber,green onion or black olives.

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On Tuesday night my friends threw me a baby shower. Even though I told them not to. Because it’s my third child. But they insisted. Because we’re having a boy and we need boy things (which is true). And because they are great friends. And, I must admit, I’m so happy I gave into their shower entreaties. The party was beyond adorable, the food was amazing, and, most importantly, I got to spend an evening with a beautiful group of women I am so grateful to know and count as friends.

But enough with the sappy stuff. I have to show you how ridiculously cute this shower was. I actually don’t have tons of pictures because it was dark, so they do not convey the total cuteness that was the shower. But believe me, everything looked fabulous.

There were moustaches and bow ties all over the place.

And the food. Ah, the food. Again, no great photos, but believe me when I tell you it was all beautiful and tasted even better than it looked.

The inspiration for the Little Man Shower came from this blog post on ReMarkable Home. (If you click through, you can get the templates for everything and see how to put it all together!) Our friend Courtney discovered the post and shared it with my friend Natalee, who spearheaded my shower. Courtney is good at finding great stuff online. The girl has 53 boards on Pinterest, for Pete’s sake.

Thank you to my wonderful friends Wendy, Amy, Mindy, Sarah, Natalee and Ana (and Angie, not pictured, who did the flowers). You ladies orchestrated an evening I will never forget and helped welcome Baby Boy Maynard into the world with style!

Click more to see some fabulous recipes from the shower!

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