This is a very easy recipe!! And tastes delicious!! I've been in an okra mood lately, but feel free to leave out the okra if you don't want to use it (although I think it added a lot to the dish)
Here's the finished product:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 onion (or 1 small), chopped
- 1 small bell pepper, chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 handfulls of frozen okra (optional)
- About a cup of frozen peas
- Vegetable (or chicken) broth (about 1 cup)
- A few sprigs of fresh basil (or about 1 tsp dried)
- A few sprigs of fresh oregano (or 1tsp dried)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp pepper
- Garlic powder (optional)
- A dash of red pepper or paprika
- About 1/2 cup of apple juice
- About 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
Directions:
1) In a large skillet, pour vegetable broth (enough to cover the bottom of the pan, about 1/2 cup) and heat on med heat. (I put a little water with it too because I prefer it a little diluted)
2) Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic and cover for about 3 min.
3) Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper (and garlic powder if you want it more garlicky)
4) Add the rest of the vegetable broth and about 1/2 cup of water and turn heat up to med high
5) Add orzo pasta, simmer on med high for about 10 min, stir occasionally to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6) Turn heat down to about med. At this point there should be enough liquid to make it a little bit soupy, but not too much. If there’s too much excess liquid, pour a little bit of it out (Careful not to loose any of the pasta or veggies). If there's not enough, add a little more.
(I poured a little bit out at this point because (as you can see) it's pretty watery, and I didn't want it to be too runny once I added the apple juice. Be cautious not to pour out too much though because the liquid will continue to reduce as you simmer it, and you don't want it to get to dry)
7) Add apple juice (I used freshly squeezed, but bottled is just fine if you don’t have a juicer or you're feeling lazy :-))
8) Add frozen peas & okra (if desired), fresh basil and oregano (dried is ok if you don’t have fresh, though not preferred) and a dash of paprika or red pepper.
(As you can see, it's still fairly liquidy, but remember that it will reduce down!)
9) Simmer uncovered for about 5-7 min on med heat; Once pasta is al dente and okra/peas are hot, you're all done! (If not, let simmer for a few more minutes.) Garnish with a couple basil or oregano leaves and enjoy!!
1) In a large skillet, pour vegetable broth (enough to cover the bottom of the pan, about 1/2 cup) and heat on med heat. (I put a little water with it too because I prefer it a little diluted)
2) Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic and cover for about 3 min.
3) Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper (and garlic powder if you want it more garlicky)
4) Add the rest of the vegetable broth and about 1/2 cup of water and turn heat up to med high
5) Add orzo pasta, simmer on med high for about 10 min, stir occasionally to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6) Turn heat down to about med. At this point there should be enough liquid to make it a little bit soupy, but not too much. If there’s too much excess liquid, pour a little bit of it out (Careful not to loose any of the pasta or veggies). If there's not enough, add a little more.
7) Add apple juice (I used freshly squeezed, but bottled is just fine if you don’t have a juicer or you're feeling lazy :-))
8) Add frozen peas & okra (if desired), fresh basil and oregano (dried is ok if you don’t have fresh, though not preferred) and a dash of paprika or red pepper.
(As you can see, it's still fairly liquidy, but remember that it will reduce down!)
9) Simmer uncovered for about 5-7 min on med heat; Once pasta is al dente and okra/peas are hot, you're all done! (If not, let simmer for a few more minutes.) Garnish with a couple basil or oregano leaves and enjoy!!
(Here's a closeup shot for you so you can see the consistency. Not soupy, but not dry. Click on the photo so you can see it better!)
One hour later, it was all gone... And I alone was the culprit. I wanted to save some for leftovers, but it was so yummy I just couldn't help myself! :-) Oh, and don't judge me for the burn stains on my pan! Blame my roommate! Love you Abree! :-)
