Whole Wheat Veggie Orzo
Undoubtedly, one of the most common requests I receive is for easy veggie “sides” dishes that picky kids will eat. My advice is to offer simple dishes with lots of textures and colors. Sure, many kids will balk initially at the mere suggestion of anything but “one-note” mashed potatoes and mac ‘n cheese. But don’t give up the ship! Keep offering your kids veggies presented in all kinds of different ways and I promise you that one day, some of your dishes will “stick!”
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked cooked whole wheat orzo Prepared according to package directions. Keep warm.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped yellow squash
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or as desired
- Freshly ground pepper if desired
- 1/3 cup frozen garden peas or shelled edamame defrost while preparing dish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium setting until hot. Sauté peppers, yellow squash, carrots, marjoram, salt and pepper in oil for 5 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and softened.
- Stir in peas or edamame, parsley and cooked orzo. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 3 minutes until heated through. Stir constantly to avoid sticking. Taste; season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage: this dish can be made up to 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate until serving time. May also be frozen for up to 4 months. Reheat over low setting for about 7 minutes or until hot. Stir constantly to avoid sticking.
Whole wheat orzo has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. It can be found in some local supermarkets as well as natural and specialty stores such as Whole Foods. Brands to looks for are Rice Select and Delalla. If you cannot locate whole-wheat orzo, regular orzo is perfectly fine.
This dish is very adaptable… so have fun experimenting with your family’s favorite veggies as well as ones that are available seasonally. Punch up the “crunch factor” with mix in’s such as chopped pistachios, cashews or pumpkin or sunflower seeds. For variety, think about swapping the orzo with couscous.
Fabulous accompaniment to Pecan-Crusted Cod with Mango Salsa.
1 Response