Beefed Up Spanish Orzo Recipes

GREEK BEEF AND ORZO

Steps:

• Cook beef in 10-inch skillet over medium-high about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown; drain.
• Stir in remaining ingredients except yogurt. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed and pasta is tender. Serve with yogurt.

BEEF AND ORZO SKILLET

Steps:

• Saute the mushrooms, celery, pepper and onion in oil in a Dutch oven until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender.

GIOUVETSI RECIPE (GREEK BEEF STEW WITH ORZO PASTA)

Steps:

• Pat dry your Giouvetsi meat with paper towels.
• Heat 1/2 of a cup of olive oil into a pan, add the chopped onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes in medium-low heat. Turn up the heat and add the veal; brown the meat on all sides until crusty.
• Stir in the tomato paste, sauté for a minute then pour in the red wine. Wait for the wine to evaporate. Add the tinned tomatoes, the sugar, the cinnamon stick and a good pinch of salt and pepper and enough water to cover the meat.
• Turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 45 minutes or until the beef is tender and fully cooked. Occasionally stir and top up with water if the sauce starts to dry out.
• In the meantime, heat another pan, add 3 tbsps of olive oil and the orzo pasta and sauté, until golden.
• Once your meat is done simmering, place the orzo pasta in an oven tray along with the meat and sauce (remove the cinnamon stick) and mix.
• If needed, add enough water so that the pasta is just covered. As a rule of thumb you'll need about 3 cups of liquid for 1 cup of orzo pasta.
• Cover the tray with some aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, add a splash of water if it has dried out, and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
• To serve, sprinkle with some grated kefalotyri or any hard yellow cheese and enjoy!

BEEF & ORZO MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Steps:

• Sprinkle salt into a 10 to 12 inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Crumble beef into pan and cook, stirring often, until meat begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in onion, and continue to cook, stirring, until onion is soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard excess fat.
• Add garlic, tomatoes (break them up with a spoon) and their liquid, broth, oregano, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil then stir in pasta. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until pasta is tender to bite, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, squeeze as much liquid as possible from spinach. Stir spinach into pasta mixture just until heated through. Serve with cheese to add to taste.

BEEFED-UP SPANISH ORZO

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions; drain, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over high heat.
• Add beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic powder, and black pepper.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beef is no longer pink, stirring frequently.
• Add cooked orzo, spaghetti sauce, and salsa.
• Reduce heat to low and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until heated through, stirring frequently.
• Garnish with olives and serve.