Cream of the Crop Week 17: Winter Squash “Orzotto”

Winter Squash “Orzotto” 

Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Cook Time: 1 hr           Servings: 4

One of my all time favorite meals is risotto. To me, it has all the best things a dish can offer: it’s comforting, nostalgic, hearty. One of those foods that nourishes your soul and body. But the likelihood of me making it on a weeknight is slim. It’s a time-consuming, arm-cramping labor of love. Enter orzo. It becomes the weeknight superhero that makes all my weeknight risotto dreams come true. The addition of roasted fall squash adds a little bit of fall coziness to the dish. Whether a quick Wednesday night dinner or the vegetarian special on the Thanksgiving table, it’s a guaranteed win for risotto lovers everywhere. 

 Ingredients: 

• 1 fall squash of your choosing (acorn, butternut, and kabocha work great here)
• ½ of an onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (sub ½ teaspoon dried)
• 1 cup of orzo
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Parmesan cheese
• 
  

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
2. Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cover the halves in olive oil. Place cut-side down on a sheet pan and roast in the oven until fork-tender (about 30-40 minutes). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. Once cooled enough, peel off the skin of the squash and cut into rough cubes. 
4. Add olive oil to a large pot on medium heat. Once hot, add onion. Sauté until translucent, then add garlic and thyme sprigs. Continue to sauté for another minute or two. 
5. Add orzo and toast for 1 minute. Then add 2 cups of vegetable stock. 
6. Stir consistently for 2-3 minutes. This allows the starches of the pasta to release and thickens the stock. 
7. After 6 minutes, add the cooked squash to the pasta and continue to stir. It will begin to thicken rapidly and may stick to the bottom of the pot. If this happens, lower the temperature of the stove to low. 
8. Allow pasta to cook until time on package or until desired texture (approximately 8-10 minutes). By this point the squash should be mixed in completely and has formed a sauce-like texture. 
9. Remove thyme sprigs from the pot. 
10. Top with parmesan cheese (measured with the heart) and thyme leaves. And enjoy! 

Tip: This recipe works with loads of different vegetables besides squash. A version with leeks or even roasted carrots would be amazing! 

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About Margaux

Margaux is a veterinary technician and long-time Westsider. She draws inspirations from her Belgian and Italian heritage with recipes that resemble those passed down by mother and grandmother.

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Cream of the Crop Week 16: Beets!

 

Beets! Simple, easy, delicious, super healthy
by Miriam Meir

The only problem with beets is that they are so red! They are healthy. They are delicious. They don't need much aside of some lemon juice and salt, maybe a little olive oil. When you make them just with those ingredients, I recommend keeping the pieces larger - about 3x3".    
Beets make a great side dish for every meal. We usually have some on the table at dinner along with olives. You can also serve them with labneh or yogurt. 

Ingredients
4 beets
2 tbsp olive oil 
juice from 1 lemon
kosher salt to taste

optional additions: 
scallion
Aleppo pepper 
sumac
parsley
cilantro
lightly roasted and crushed coriander and cumin seeds
sliced almonds

Step 1. 
Preheat the oven to 350.  

Step 2.
Wrap each beet bulb in aluminum foil and place in the oven. Roast until a fork goes easily through the beets. This depends on the beets' size; it's usually around one hour.  

Step 3.
Cool and peel the beets with your hands - the skin will come of easily. I recommend wearing gloves for this step. Or reuse a plastic produce bag from the supermarket :) 

Step 4.
Cut the beets into 1x1" cubes. Mix with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Ready! 
At this point you can mix in the add-ons. 


Tip
You can also boil the beets (in their skin) in water for one hour. The flavor is better preserved in the oven, though. 

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About Miriam
Miriam is a mom, lecturer, and part-time grad student. Her family's kitchen is broadly Mediterranean, and inspired by their heritage: Belgian, Israeli, Moroccan and Syrian.

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As always, please visit our blog for recipes over the past dozen years, and send us your recipes if you find something that you really love and that utilizes our current distribution.

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Cream of the Crop Week 15: Stuffed Baby Eggplants

 

Stuffed Baby Eggplants
by Miriam Meir

Ingredients

As many baby eggplants as you've got
2 ripe tomatoes, crushed
2 garlic cloves, crushed and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from one lemon
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
Fresh ground black pepper
 
Step 1. 
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prepare a roasting pan (I line it with a baking sheet). 

Step 2.
Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 4, keeping the parts connected on the top.

Step 3.
Combine all other ingredients and mix well. 

Step 4.
Brush the insides of the eggplants with the mixture and place in the roasting pan.

Step 5.
Roast for 30-50 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplants, until they are soft and browned.

Tip
This will work with zucchini too! 
Any leftover filling? Mix with some labneh and serve with the eggplant. 

About Miriam
Miriam is a mom, lecturer, and part-time grad student. Her family's kitchen is broadly Mediterranean, and inspired by their heritage: Belgian, Israeli, Moroccan and Syrian.

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As always, please visit our blog for recipes over the past dozen years, and send us your recipes if you find something that you really love and that utilizes our current distribution.

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Facebook

Website