Kale and Orzo

by lnmorrow

Today I am busy with schoolwork so I made a quick, light dinner.  Can’t beat a nice, healthy meal in 30 minutes.

I found this recipe on allrecipe.com and added a few extra ingredients.

Orzo with Kale

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

1 large lemon, juiced

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil: Sprinkle the turmeric over the boiling water and stir in the orzo; return to a boil.  Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes; drain. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the garlic in the hot oil for a few seconds until it begins to bubble.  Stir the kale into the garlic, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 10 mins.  Remove the cover and continue cooking and stirring until the kale is tender, about 10 mins more.  Stir the kale mixture into the orzo along with lemon juice, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

The flavor is mild and refreshing.  I can’t wait to make it again.

A few minor modifications ~I tossed mushrooms and red bell peppers in with the kale and added more olive oil.  I only used 1 1/2 cups of uncooked orzo and it turned out great.  I omitted the Parmesan cheese.

Verdict

Christian (6) devoured two plates and said it was, “delicious,” except for the peppers.  He also wanted to know if kale had more vitamin A than carrots so he could see better tomorrow.

Roman (3) said, “It doesn’t smell very good,” while I was cooking.  He made sure I saw his pinched nose and exaggerated mouth breathing.  After a few minutes of asking he finally tasted the orzo and said it didn’t taste good.  I have to say he can’t stand orzo pasta because “the shape is weird for a noodle.”

Husband loved it.

Plate scrapped clean = good dish.

This recipe was submitted to allrecipes.com by Sunaina. You can find it here.