We Got The Beets

♫ Ooo eee ooo killer tofu ♫

Remember The Beets from Doug? What a great band; I wish they were real.

I digress.

So tonight the pantry and fridge were quite bare, save some carbs and vegetables.













I noticed a can of pickled beets that I purchased...mmm...about 8 months ago and wondered what I could do with such a delicious, yet odd commodity. The dialogue in my head was as follows:

"Rice again? Nah. Ooo Orzo pasta. I've never cooked this before. Yes, yes...Orzo pasta with pickled beets and an assortment of random ingredients!"

Uhh..MAZING! I never knew pickled beets were so delicious when warm and mixed with random stuff.

My boyfriend and I eat a "Stuff Pasta" once a week. We actually call it "Stuff Pasta." It's a great (cheap) way to utilize fresh vegetables. Usually it's thin spaghetti or bowtie with caramelized onions, garlic, whatever green vegetable we bought that week, fresh tomato and green onion and shaved Asiago cheese.

This week, I made a Stuff Pasta that we have never had before and DAMN, it was good. And pretty. Full of healthy ingredients right in the pantry. I can't think of a snappy name for this dish; it involves too many things.

Stuff Pasta (Orzo with roasted chickpeas, veggies and beets) Recipe:

• 1 pkg Orzo pasta

• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1 broccoli crown, stem diced and separated from florets
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp Greek Oregano
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper

• 1 can pickled beets, drained
  
• 1 fresh tomato, diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• Drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the garbanzo beans, broccoli stems, onions and garlic slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, peppers and Greek oregano. Mix so all the veggies are coated and roast for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take a spatula and move the veggies around to cook evenly. Put back in oven for 10 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting during the final 10 minutes, cook the Orzo pasta according to the package directions.

Now attend to the broccoli florets. I chose not to roast with other vegetables because broccoli florets tend to get brown and crisp really fast in a hot oven. I threw them in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water, salt and pepper, covered with paper plate and microwaved for about 3 minutes. (Contrary to popular belief, microwaving vegetables with a lid is actually a healthy method that retains the nutrients.)

When the Orzo is finished, drain and return to pot. Drizzle some olive oil and pour in the roasted mixture, broccoli florets and pickled beets. You'll notice the entire dish suddenly takes on a lovely fuchsia hue from the beets. Garnish with fresh tomatoes and green onions.


An award-winning Stuff Pasta, if I do say so myself. And my boyfriend, who often gawks at vegetarian meals, loved it too.