The New Comfort Food

Contrary to popular belief  I am not a vegetarian.  People often act surprised when they see me eat meat.  I guess that's because I'm somewhat vocal about my love of fruits and veggies.  I'm always encouraging people to try new foods, most often beets.  (It is my opinion that if the only beets you've ever eaten came out of a can you cannot claim to hate beets; you can only claim to hate canned beets.  Fresh is a whole other world of taste and texture.  Don't worry, beet recipes coming soon.)  I do, however, prepare meatless meals regularly.  I'd say we vegetarian an average of 3-4 nights a week.  The following recipe has quickly become one of my new comfort foods.  I call it Orzo Veggies.  I know, not very creative but the flavors are much more impressive than the name.  I adapted it from something I found online, probably because I like to do things my way and because I am a locavore.  That means as much as it is possible I only eat locally grown foods.  (More on that another time.)  So here it is.  A wonderfully delicious meatless casserole...

Orzo Veggies

Ingredients:

• 2-3 bell peppers in your choice of colors
• 2 small or 1 large zucchini
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to your taste
• 1 cup orzo (I like whole wheat orzo)
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 can of black beans (for protein)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• feta cheese
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut bell peppers and zucchini into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a 9" x 13" baking pan with chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Mix to coat veggies.  Roast about 20 minutes.
3. Add a bit of olive oil to a large saucepan with orzo and saute until brown.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover, lower heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
4. Add orzo, black beans, and tomatoes to veggies and mix to combine.  Sprinkle feta cheese over the top, cover with foil, and bake another 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy!  This serves about 6-8 people. 

You can add any other veggies you like.  Be creative!  Asparagus would be tasty, but I have found I don't like it with broccoli.  This makes great leftovers and can even be served cold like on a picnic or something.  I hope you like it and it brings you comfort too!