Meals Matter

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Contributed By: flamingostar
Chatelaine magazine

While we love a bowlful of creamy steamy risotto heavenly scented with mushrooms, we don't like the long cooking time. Orzo is a smart substitute. It looks like rice, but cooks in half the time

Ingredients

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter or olive oil

1 Large onion, coarsely chopped

2 Garlic cloves, minced, or 1 tbsp (15 mL) bottled chopped garlic

8 oz (250 g) pkg sliced button mushrooms or about 4 cups (1 L)

½ tsp (2 mL) salt

¼ to ½ tsp (1 to 2 mL) dried thyme leaves

3 Plum tomatoes

2 Green onions

1½ cups (375 mL) uncooked orzo

10 oz (284 mL) can undiluted chicken broth

1 cup (250 mL) water

1 cup (250 mL) grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. When bubbly, add onion. Stir often just until onion begins to soften, from 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms. Sprinkle in salt and ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) thyme. Stir often until mushrooms are golden-tinged, from 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop tomatoes and thinly slice green onions. Set green onions aside. Stir in tomatoes with any juice and seeds and orzo. Then pour in chicken broth.

2. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up and stir in any brown bits from pan bottom into sauce for added flavour. Stir constantly until orzo absorbs most of liquid in pan, about 5 minutes. Add water and stir often until most of liquid is absorbed, from 4 to 5 minutes. Mixture should look a little soupy.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and green onions until cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Taste and stir in remaining ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) thyme, if needed. Ladle risotto into warm soup bowls and serve immediately with a leafy green salad and thick slices of fresh focaccia or pumpernickel.

Cook's Notes

exc niacin good source of calcium and magnesium

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