MONDAY RECIPE POST - CREAMY ONE-POT ORZO WITH LEFTOVER CHICKEN

We discovered how much we liked orzo only in recent years, not having much of it before, maybe only at restaurants.  Late to the party but we do enjoy when we put it on the shopping list, as in this case when I found today's recipe.   Our favorite pasta is Angel Hair, which is something my Mother-in-Law introduced us to many, many years ago (she was a marvelous cook), and that's all we seem to buy now.  It is our favorite spaghetti.  I make macaroni and cheese with elbow macaroni. We have also tried a variety of other shapes, again more so in the last few years. We enjoy pasta but we do try to make it rarely these days and keep it as a treat.  So, our treat for pasta this time was Orzo, and I found the recipe at Bake to the Roots, hosted by Marc. Marc lives in Berlin, Germany.  His bio can be read here, and the original recipe can be found at this link.  I try to remember to recommend checking out the website, as their photos are always very professional-looking and pleasing to the eye.  Also, for tips that I may not have added here, and also for all the other wonderful recipes.

Bake to the Roots is also a bilingual recipe blog - English and German, and recipes can be read in both languages.  I am going to leave in the metric measurements below for friends overseas.

Creamy One-Pot Orzo with Leftover Chicken

Serves 4

Olive oil for frying, (we recently bought Avocado oil in a spray can which we use now)

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

17.6 oz. (500g) dried orzo

1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine

2 cups (480ml) vegetable stock

2 cups (480ml) hot water

1.8 oz. (50g) parmesan cheese, grated (plus some more)

1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded

3.5 oz. (100g) baby spinach leaves

7 oz. (200g) cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and Pepper

Peel the onion and garlic.  Chop finely.

Clean, wash and drain the spinach. 

Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. 

Remove the meat from the chicken and shred.

Using a large Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, or use cooking spray. 

Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy. 

Add the orzo and cook while stirring constantly for a minute or so, to toast it a bit. 

Deglaze with the white wine and let cook while stirring often until the wine is mostly gone. 

Add the veggie stock and hot water. 

Bring to a boil and let cook for about 9-10 minutes (once again, stir often) until most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is “al dente”.

Reduce the heat and add the grated Parmesan, shredded chicken, and spinach and mix in. 

Cook while stirring constantly and let the spinach wilt for a minute or two, then add the halved tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

What did we think?  We gave this a ten out of ten!  This meal, with all the other ingredients added, was outstanding!

Things we changed?  Not much, but...

the only baby spinach we had was in a salad mix with baby kale and several other green salad ingredients.  We just tossed everything in and it was perfect.

We used the avocado cooking spray instead of the oil.

Normally I enjoy the process of chopping and preparing vegetables.  Today was one of those days when I wanted the short cuts, as in garlic cloves.  A month ago we found these at Trader Joe's.  One frozen cube equals 1 teaspoon or 1 clove of garlic.  They were just what I needed in getting the ingredients prepared, and it lasts longer than fresh garlic.

If you don't want to bother with these, or don't have them readily available in your area, I came across the following recipe found here at another food blog called Frugal Home hosted by Shelly.  She prepares garlic cloves similar to the above, and places them in ice-cube trays.  

"Chopping the Garlic Cloves:

After all the skins are removed from the cloves, it’s time to mince them. I find that using the food processor is the easiest way to get them minced.

I process the cloves of garlic until they are medium to finely minced. It only takes a few seconds. The food processor is so much faster than using a knife.

Portioning the Minced Garlic:

I use a tablespoon or a teaspoon to portion the minced garlic. A tablespoon is a large amount but I can cut it in half if I need a smaller amount.

If you use one or two cloves of garlic at a time, or don’t want to hassle with cutting the cubes in half as needed, measure the portions with a teaspoon instead. Half a teaspoon is equal to one garlic clove.

I add a small amount of water to each cube, about half a teaspoon to help it hold together better. Then place in the freezer until frozen solid."

Getting back to Trader Joe's, they also have cubes of ginger, and turmeric.  

I was feeling a bit out of sorts one day and used three cubes of ginger, with a little honey and lemon juice to taste, poured hot water over everything and stirred.  It made a very comforting drink.

As for the turmeric, I have been hearing how good this is and found this recipe on Dorot Garden's homepage here.  

"Quick & Delicious

How could you drink a great healthy drink that will brighten your day? Make some golden tea!

1 cup oat milk

1 Dorot ginger cube

2 Dorot Turmeric cubes

2 tablespoon maple syrup

Dash of pepper to activate Turmeric (allows for proper absorption into the body)

Blend ingredients, and place in pot and heat to a boil (could throw in the microwave too). If desired, add a dash of cinnamon on top.

This tea is wonderful hot in winter, and excellent cold in summer…"

That's about it, just to add I get no kick-back from Dorot's Gardens.  When I find something I like I will share it here, not only to remember it myself for future reference, but also in case you would like to use sometime if it's available in your area.

I just found an almost identical recipe at this link, in case you would like to check that out also.  

Thank you Marc for our fantastic meal today.  We both enjoyed it immensely and will be putting it in our favorite folder.

To all my blogging friends, old and new, thank you for looking and have a great week!