Orzo Gratin Food

TOASTED ORZO WITH OLIVES AND LEMON

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add orzo; cook, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 4 cups water and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover, and simmer until orzo is al dente and liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes (if orzo is cooked but liquid remains, cook uncovered to evaporate).
• Remove from heat. Stir in olives, parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and lemon juice.

LAMB SHANKS & ORZO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and dredge the lamb shanks in the mixture, shaking off the excess. In a large (13-inch) Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat 3 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 lamb shanks and cook for 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until browned on all sides. Transfer the shanks to a plate, add more grapeseed oil, and brown the remaining 2 shanks.
• Wipe out the Dutch oven with a paper towel, add the olive oil, and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and rosemary and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, wine, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add the lamb shanks, arranging them so they're almost completely submerged in the liquid. Tuck in the bay leaves and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 2 hours, turning the shanks once while they cook.
• Stir in the orzo and return the lamb shanks to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the orzo is cooked and the lamb shanks are very tender. Discard the bay leaves, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of white wine, and taste the orzo for seasonings. Serve hot.

ORZO GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add orzo and garlic, and return to a boil; cook 10 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain again. Remove garlic; peel and crush garlic. Set orzo aside.
• Combine garlic and whipping cream in a large bowl; beat with a wire whisk until blended. Add orzo, chicken broth, 1 cup minced parsley, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste; stir well.
• Place mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish. Combine breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 cup parsley, and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; stir well. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the orzo mixture. Dot with butter. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown.

CAULIFLOWER, SQUASH & ORZO GRATIN

Steps:

• For the base, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the cauliflower and squash in oil and spread it out on a large oven tray. Roast for 25 mins, or until tender. If you're making the base ahead of time, you can leave it to cool at this stage then freeze in an airtight container for up to a month. (Defrost fully before using in the next step.)
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook the orzo following pack instructions and drain. Tip back into the pan and stir in the mascarpone and nearly all the parmesan.
• Roughly chop the roasted cauliflower and squash and stir it into the orzo. Tip into a dish and sprinkle over the almonds and breadcrumbs, and the rest of the parmesan. Bake for 20 mins, or until the top browns and toasts a little.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO, BLACK OLIVE AND MOZZARELLA ORZO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a pot of boiling salted water cook the orzo until al dente and drain. Transfer to a large bowl. In a large skillet cook the onion and fennel in the butter over moderately low heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cream mixture, rosemary and salt and pepper and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the bowl containing the orzo and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, all but 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 1-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

YELLOW PEPPER ORZO GRATIN

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil for orzo.
• In a heavy saucepan simmer bell peppers in wine and broth with salt, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer until liquid is evaporated. Cool pepper mixture and in a food processor or blender purée with egg. Transfer pepper mixture to a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350° F. and lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan with the oil.
• Cook orzo in boiling salted water until al dente and drain in a colander. Rinse orzo under cold water and drain well. Stir orzo into pepper mixture with scallions, chives, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread orzo in baking pan, smoothing top, and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon Parmesan. Gratin may be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
• Bake gratin in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until set and top is pale golden.

CREAMY ORZO WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons olive oil, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper on a baking sheet.
• Spread out in a single layer. Roast, stirring halfway through, until well browned and crisp around the edges, about 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then scrape up with a spatula and transfer to a bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until the leek softens, about 2 minutes. Add the orzo, 2 cups water, the milk, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the cheese, spinach, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon parsley. Stir until the cheese melts and the spinach wilts; add a splash of water if the mixture is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the mushrooms with the lemon zest and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Divide the orzo among bowls and top with the mushroom mixture.

COURGETTE & ORZO BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Toss the baby courgettes with half the oil in a roasting tin and roast for 10 mins, until the courgettes are starting to colour.
• Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the remaining oil and butter in your largest frying pan and soften the onions and garlic gently. Add the grated courgettes, and turn up the heat. Cook until softened. Stir in the orzo and wine, if using, for a minute, then turn off the heat and stir in the stock, most of the Parmesan and some seasoning.
• Transfer to a baking dish and arrange the baby courgettes on top. Bake for 15 mins, take out of the oven and scatter with breadcrumbs and the remaining Parmesan and bake for 10 mins more. Eat immediately.

BAKED COD WITH CREAMY MUSHROOM & LEEK ORZO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the flour into a bowl and season. Dip each cod fillet into the flour until evenly coated. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the cod on each side for 2 mins, or until golden brown. Transfer to a roasting tin with the lemon slices on top and nestled in half the thyme. Bake for 10 mins.
• Heat the remaining oil in a pan and fry the leeks and mushrooms for 5 mins over a medium-high heat. Add the orzo and stock, and cook for 10 mins over a high heat, stirring continuously until tender. Stir through the crème fraîche and lemon zest. Season. Serve the orzo with the cod on top, along with the roasted lemon slices.