Orzo with Spinach and Roasted Peppers

This tasty side dish is as good as it is simple to make. Roasted bell peppers and spinach sautéed with garlic combined with orzo pasta make this dish a nice change from potatoes and rice. In addition, the ingredients for this recipe are readily available making this dish the perfect accompaniment anytime of the year.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

•  3/4 cup of uncooked orzo (rice shaped pasta)
• 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
• 4-5 cups of fresh spinach
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 TB butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the orzo in a pot of boiling water. Be sure not to over cook it as you will be placing it in a saute pan to finish cooking. Chop the bell peppers into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Chop the spinach in the same manner.

In a hot pan, add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and saute for 20 to 30 seconds being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the spinach and saute until it's just wilted. Add the bell peppers and stir until it is completely blended.

Finally, stir in the cooked orzo and season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, top the orzo with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! 

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Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

The lemon herb marinade and the char from the grill really give the vegetables in this sandwich a delightful punch. Assembled on lightly toasted Naan bread with feta, chipotle mustard and mayonnaise, it is a hearty, flavorful sandwich for vegetarians and carnivores alike.

 

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup Bianco (a lightly sweetened dry vermouth. If you cannot find it, use dry vermouth)
• 2 TBS dried rosemary
• 1 TB thyme
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 4 yellow squash, halved lengthwise
• 4 red bell peppers
• 1 red onion, peeled and sliced in 1/2 inch slices
• 8-12 Crimini or button mushrooms, wiped clean and halved lengthwise
• 8 slices of Naan (a flat bread, similar to a pita, from Asia, available in larger supermarkets)
• Mayonaise
• Chipotle mustard (or your favorite whole grain mustard)

 

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend. This is the marinade. Set aside. Char the bell peppers on all sides either in a broiler or on a grill. When they are nearly black, place them in a paper bag allowing them to steam for 10 minutes. Peel each pepper and remove the stem and seeds. Do NOT rinse them under water as you will lose much of the charred flavor. Set aside.

 

Place the zucchini, squash, onion slices and mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour the marinade over and allow the vegetables to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Heat your grill to medium high heat. Brush the grill with oil. Grill the marinated vegetables 2-3 minutes per side. You want to cook them enough so that you get nice char marks but not so much that the vegetables get mushy.

Remove the vegetables from the grill and place them on a platter. Add the roasted and peeled bell peppers. Drizzle some of the marinade over the vegetables and set them aside.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the Naan on a griddle, non-stick frying pan or in a toaster. Spread the mayonnaise over 2 pieces of the Naan. Spread a little mustard over one of the pieces. Take the zucchini and squash halves and slice them lengthwise. If your mushrooms are large, slice them in half again too. Separate the onions into rings. Beginning with the mustard side of the Naan, arrange zucchini spears over the bread. Then do the same with the squash. Next, top the squash with roasted bell pepper pieces. Top the bell pepper with mushroom slices and onions. Finally, sprinkle feta over the entire sandwich and place the second piece of Naan on top. Repeat with the remaining Naan and vegetables. Note: If your squash and zucchini were large to begin with, you may have a few vegetables left over. Save those for an omelet!

 

Enjoy!