Orzo Hellas

Some of you may be aware of my... uh... soft spot (read: fetish) for Chef Michael Psilakis' restaurants. His places give justice to all food, whether fine or hearty. My wallet loves him for that.

My favorite thing at Kefi is the orzo dish, which inspired Orzo Hellas. Not quite as decadent as Psilakis (deliberately so), but it certainly satisfied my craving.

 
 Orzo Hellas
8 oz of orzo
1/2 eggplant, cubed into 1/4 - 1/2 inch peices
1 zucchini, same size as eggplant
1 cup sweet red, yellow, or orange peppers, diced
6 oz baby spinach
1/2 cup water
1 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes
6 scallions, thickly sliced
2-3 shallots, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced (if you have time, poach these whole in olive oil with a bay leaf and puree, then skip the saute step and add in with scallions... bumps it up a notch) 
8 oz real parmesan or kaseri cheese, grated
parsley and dill
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
olive oil

1. Coat a large pot with olive oil, and warm on low to mid heat. Add the zucchini and eggplant, add a pinch of salt, and cook for ten minutes or until eggplant is tender. Remove and reserve.
2. In the same pot, coat again (generously) with olive oil, add garlic and cook on low heat for two minutes. Add shallots, cook until translucent. Add scallions and peppers, cook for one minute. Add eggplant and zucchini.
3. Cook orzo according to package, drain and reserve.
4. Pour can of tomatoes and water into veggie mixture, season to taste with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.
5. Add orzo and baby spinach, combine and let spinach wilt. Serve with a heap of kaseri or parmesan, cracked black pepper, and chopped herbs on top.

Silky, slightly sweet, light... yet warm and seemingly bottomless. Great for a rainy spring day.

Alternate serving recommendation: Forget the cheese, double the herbs and drizzle with a really fruity extra virgin olive oil. That would make a lovely vegan dish.