What can I say, rice always seems to make its way into my 'fast and easy' meal choices during the week. Needless to say, we eat a lot of rice in our house, and my version of rice pilaf has a bit of delightful toasted orzo added to it, transforming it into what my husband likes to call 'rice a roni, but better.'
This one is especially quick since a lot of the ingredients are easy to keep on hand for whenever the mood strikes you to whip something like this up. It's definitely filling enough for a meal for 3 and elegant (and easy) enough as a side with a larger meal for special guests. I put mushrooms in just about everything, but feel free to tweak it by adding or subbing in some of your favorite veg.
INGREDIENTS
for the lemony rice pilaf
1 cup of your favorite long grain rice
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
peel and juice of medium lemon
2 tsp sea salt
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
for the spinach and chickpeas
1 lb bag of frozen organic chopped spinach
1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
and smashed a bit with potato masher
1 medium onion, chopped
10 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Place a medium pot that has a tight fitting lid over medium heat. Add the oil, butter and onion and saute till the onion begins turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the orzo and stir constantly till the orzo has become golden brown. Add the rice and stir for another 2 minutes, then add the broth, lemon juice and peel. Bring to a boil over high and stir once, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 additional minutes.
While the rice is cooking, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil and onion with a pinch of salt. Saute till softened, about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook till the liquid has released, then add the frozen spinach and another pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas and stir well, cooking long enough for them to be heated through.
Remove the lemon peel from the rice and fluff with a fork. Serve the spinach and chickpeas over the rice and top with the feta or parm. This dish is great served family style, particularly if it will be as a side, or in individual bowls.
My daughter and I are definitely noodle junkies, following a long line of them from my dad's side of the family. Soba is a new favorite in the house, since its just different enough texturally and in flavor to inspire a whole new cache of tasty combinations. This one is very quick, and I since I was low on ingredients, forced me to get a little creative. I'd mistakenly picked up a jar of tehina (a popular mid-east condiment) instead of tahini, and wasn't too sure what to do with it. It had tahini in it, as well as chickpeas, garlic, and lemon. Well, it helped contribute to a wonderful 'sauce' that coats the noodles just enough and doesn't overpower them. What you end up with is an interesting mix of flavors; Asian and Mediterranean riffing off each other.
This cooks up super quick and with very little effort. A perfect meal for an impatiently hungry toddler- hence, the shortage of photos this time. She wanted to eat it now. Needless to say, she loved it and even ate the scallions (after I mixed them in well with the rest of the noodles). Apparently noodles are the ultimate vessel for new ingredients in our home, and I'll be using them to try out beets again on her... I'm very determined to get her to eat them in one form or another. Even if it takes years.
INGREDIENTS
1 8 oz package soba noodles
1/2 lb firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch thick cubes
6 - 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 scallions, sliced on the bias
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup tehina
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 - 2 tsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp sriracha, depending on taste
2 Tbsp Bragg's liquid amino's or tamari
Place a large pot of water on the stove and crank the heat to boil. Place a saucepan over medium high and add canola oil. Once the oil is nice and hot, add the mushrooms and tofu. Stir occasionally till the tofu gets a little crust going, and the mushrooms have released all their liquid and it has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Once the water is boiling, add the soba and cook 1 minute less than instructed on the package. Meanwhile, combine the tehina, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sriarcha and Bragg's in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the cooked tofu and mushrooms. Drain the soba and add it to the pan, mixing well to coat it in the sauce. Serve immediately with scallions as a garnish.
