This year is going to be a busy one for me. As I have mentioned, I have four weddings approaching, and my husband and I are both celebrating a big birthday milestone.
Weddings excite me more than any other occasion, so I have been going to my niece’s fittings with her in New York City. I also have been helping my friends look for gowns to wear to their daughter’s weddings. Each day seems busier than the last. This is not a complaint, I am so happy to be sharing all their wedding experiences, but it can be overwhelming at times.
When life is hectic, it is important to find time for yourself. In my downtime, I like to go for a run, or get in the kitchen and cook. Running makes me feel as if I have really accomplished something and cooking brings happiness to not only me, but also my family! This year is going to fly by in a minute, and I want to slow it down so I get enjoy every second. I think that is a concept we can all get behind.
My cooking therapy this week included this delicious orzo recipe. I would put this one in my comfort food group. It is amazingly simple to make, and the outcome is this delicious, creamy orzo with lemon and cheesy goodness in each bite. The onions, garlic, and parsley give it a wonderful savory flavor. It is perfectly healthy and uncomplicated.
This recipe is courtesy of Simple and will serve 4 people who will want to slow down time to savor every bite!
Ingredients for Orzo with Lemon and Parsley:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 3/4 cups light chicken stock
8 ounces orzo (1 cup)
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
3/4 to 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Salt and Pepper
Heat the olive oil and gently saute the shallots until soft and pale gold.
Add the garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a boil, then add the orzo.
Increase the heat from medium and cook, uncovered for eight minutes.
You can stir it a couple of times to stop the pasta from sticking, but try not to do so too much.
By the end the stock should have been absorbed and the pasta becomes soft, but still with a little firmness.
Stir in lemon zest, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.
Taste and season; you won’t need much salt, if any, because of the reduced stock and cheese.
Eat promptly; it gets sticky if it is kept waiting, although it does (amazingly) reheat well if you do gently with a little more stock.
It’s that simple!
