Orzo-Broccoli Pilaf

Barb Gertz's Note:

This recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens Diabetic cooking.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• ½ cup onion
• 2⁄3; cup orzo pasta (rosamarina)
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram , crushed
• 1⁄8; teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Cook and stir the mushrooms and onion until onion is tender.
3. Stir in orzo.
4. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until orzo is lightly browned.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Carefully stir in chicken broth, carrot, marjoram, and pepper.
7. Bring to boiling: reduce heat.
8. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until orzo is tender but still firm.
9. Remove saucepan from heat: stir in broccoli.
10. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
11. Serve.

Reviews

[H2O]

Very tasty and simple dish to prepare. Browning the orzo first gives it a wonderful flavor! I omitted the carrots, and cut the brocolli florets into small pieces since I thought it would be easier to scoop up with the orzo. I zapped them in the microwave for a few minutes to soften them before adding them to the rest of the dish. I also left out the marjoram, and added a bit of Paul Prudhomme's "Vegetable Magic" to give it a zesty zing. I served it with seared tuna. Perfect!

[naturegal07]

I followed suggestions from some of the reviews and threw in the broccoli just after the mushrooms and onions. I also added a couple of diced chicken breasts. I made a double recipe and I will be using the leftovers as stuffing for stuffed green and red peppers later this week.

[evewitch]

This was easy to put together. It lacked a bit in my opinion. The broccoli didn't seem to "go". If you are used to having a plain steamed vegetable with your meal, this is an easy way to cook it without another pot. Since I always sauce/dress/"do" my veggies, this was not a bonus for me. The amount of oil used was too little. The dish could have benefited from some added salt.