Some may say this was in the realm of a mystery box challenge as it literally was, open the fridge, and see what kind of a mess you can make out of all the ingredients!
Right away I was drawn to the contrasting colors of the fresh green beans and ripe roma tomatoes....I knew I needed a starch and since it had been some time since I have made an orzo dish I thought why not? For some reason I was in an orzo slump, always sticking to the same, brown mushroom and broccoli - don't get me wrong that dish is equally delish! But not quite the experiment I played around with yesterday...
Earthen Orzo Recipe
2 roma tomatoes
handful of fresh green beans
crumbled feta
cashews
orzo
olive oil
seasoned salt
garlic powder
red pepper flakes
freshly crushed black pepper
fresh basil*
This was a 2 frying pan kinda dish - it was all just throw it in and see what happens! I was so pleased with the resultant warm earthy flavor profile that I decided to share it with the vastness of the inter-web...what is nice is that you can get both pans started simultaneously and knock this one out rather quickly: hello school night dinner.
Small pan: heat olive oil and add diced tomatoes, cleaned and cut green beans, and spices - let simmer for a few minutes and then add in the crumbled feta and let them marry in a smooth cheesy harmony.
Large pan: heat up pan with dry orzo and spices - I was simply thinking that maybe I could infuse some sort of "toasted" flavor into the orzo (it may have done nothing, or it may have done something)....what I love about experimenting with techniques is that you (and I mean me) never know what it will contribute to the overall final flavor. After a few minutes add in water. I like to go with 1 part orzo to 2 parts water (this way as long as you use the same device to measure - you will get the proportions accurate!). After about half of the water is gone I added in the cashews - how much is really up to you....to save on dishes I used 1 "part". Cooking cashews was one thing I learned in Minnesota - it really develops the flavor and to me is one of the best substitutes for meat. Alternatively, I believe that beef would have paired nicely with the beans and tomatoes......
Just when you think it is almost done (little water remains) add in contents from the small pan and let the magic of heat take over....it should look something like this....
Serve with freshly chopped basil!
~Enjoy.
*from the garden (just for looks initially - but then it was POW: flavor explosion in my mouth!)
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