Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Tuesday

Chickpea orzo pilaf (recipe in the comments)
Green salad with cucumbers and tomatoes

Hot tea
English toffee
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Ack! I deleted this post accidentally when I posted the following days' post. I hope I re-create it ok!

This is one of my favorite meals. Sadly, for me, it is one of M's least favorite meals. Therefore I almost always have this when M is out of town. Luckily, T loves it as well. It's a very basic and comforting chicken soup with enough twists (curry powder, chili sauce and thyme) to keep it interesting. It's the perfect fare for a cold night. T had this with mashed bananas to keep it BRATY, while I had the above sides. Don't mistake chili sauce for hot sauce or Tabasco. Chili sauce is found near ketchup in the grocery store and is a main ingredient in cocktail sauce. Three tablespoons of Tabasco would make this REALLY nasty.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, carrot, garlic, radishes, cucumbers
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Yes. The pilaf gets less brothy as it sits and the orzo absorbs the liquid, but it's still good.


Reaction
J: "How could this not be your favorite meal???"

3 comments:

J said...

Chickpea Orzo Pilaf – Real Simple
Serves 2 with a bit extra


3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 t curry powder
.5 t dried thyme
1 cup orzo
5.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 T chili sauce (in the ketchup section)
1/2 t salt

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot with a lid. Sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic with the curry powder and thyme until the onion is soft. Add the orzo and sauté until the pasta is lightly browned. Stir in the broth, chickpeas, chili sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until orzo is fully cooked. The stew should be brothy, not bone dry. Taste for seasonings and serve.

Unknown said...

So a little while ago Ed and I made your Saag Tofu with rice. The flavors were seriously amazing, like I didn't realize I had the capacity to create that flavor. That said, I think I messed something up because the sauce became really watery, and I was expecting it to be more yogurt-y because of all the yogurt. Maybe I cooked the other stuff in too much oil? I don't know, but it was sort of weird consistency-wise as a result. We're going to have to try it again because we were huge fans of the flavor.

Flynn: I actually feel like a cook. A deeply flawed cook, but still.

Ed: Who knew that much spinach would wilt into so little in a frying pan?

J said...

The sauce is thin, but I wouldn't describe it as watery. That said, it's not really yogurt-y either. The yogurt kind of blends in and coats the spinach, leaving a thin juice of spinach and seasonings. Maybe too much oil? I'm not sure. Good luck with it though!