Warming Winter Orzo

January and February are generally dark, wet and dreary months in England and on the whole, this year is no exception. It is still dark by 5pm, but I noticed yesterday that the outside lights (which are on a timer) came on before it got dark, which means the days are - albeit almost imperceptibly - getting longer. It’s not long now till March when the snowdrops and daffodils will begin to come through here, but in the meantime, there is nothing like a lovely comforting stew to warm the cockles of your heart. 

Orzo is versatile rice shaped pasta that works well in soups, casseroles and anywhere you would use rice or pasta. I am a big fan of orzo, and used it in yesterday's post too. It gives soups and stews a hearty texture and really enhances their flavour as well.

This dish takes a little while to assemble, but once it is cooking you can just leave it until the last few minutes. It is a wonderful to have it stewing away in the oven, the gorgeous smells it gives your home promising the wonderful meal to come.

To serve 4 people you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 to 4 carrots, peeled and cut in one inch chunks

¼ cup Madeira or sherry (optional)

1 pound of chuck steak or stewing beef, cubed

1 bottle of (lager) beer (approximately 11 ounces)

4 cups beef stock (approximately)

1 tablespoon tomato paste (tomato puree)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

1 - 14 ounce can of mixed beans, preferably organic, drained & rinsed

1 cup orzo

salt and pepper to taste

You need a large lidded casserole that is suitable for both stove top and oven, or a frying pan for the stove top and a casserole for the oven. Preheat the oven to 350℉ (160℃ or 150℃ for a fan oven).

Heat the oil in the stove top safe casserole or in the frying pan on the stove top over medium heat. Sauté the onion until it begins to become translucent.

Stir in the chuck steak or stewing beef cubes and brown. When the steak is taking on a bit of colour on all sides, add the Madeira or sherry (if using), the lager, 2 cups of the beef stock (reserve the rest for later). and the tomato puree.  Stir until everything is combined.

Add the carrots, drained beans and oregano to this mixture and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for about five to ten minutes.

If you are using a frying pan, this is the point when you should transfer the mixture to an oven safe lidded casserole. If you are already using a casserole, pop the lid on. Put the casserole into the oven and cook for an hour, stirring once half way through if you remember.

Remove the casserole from the oven. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the orzo. Add the reserved stock and stir. Put the lid back on and return the casserole to the oven.

After about fifteen minutes, remove the casserole from the oven again and check if the orzo has absorbed all the stock. If it has, taste it for tenderness. If it still seems a bit firm, add a bit more stock, cover and return to the oven for about ten more minutes. If there is still stock left in the mixture don’t worry, just return the casserole to the oven for about ten more minutes. By the way, this is a good point to taste the dish for flavour (don’t burn your mouth!) and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

When the stock has absorbed and the orzo is al dente, your casserole is done. Remove it from the oven and place it on a heat safe surface. Allow to rest for about ten minutes before serving in warmed bowls with some nice warm bread or rolls on the side.

Honeyed Parsnip and Ham Orzo

I love orzo. It’s a fantastically versatile rice shaped pasta that works well in soups, casseroles and anywhere you would use rice or pasta. It takes less time to cook than rice and has a really delicate texture and flavour too. 

This is one of those meals that tastes really special but isn’t at all difficult to make. Yes, there is a bit of peeling and chopping, but it’s worth it. And if you don’t eat meat or are serving vegetarians, please just leave out the ham. I only include it when I have leftover ham to use up anyway.

The sherry adds a beautiful flavour to this dish, but it is still delicious without it. If you would rather leave it out, just substitute more stock.

To serve four people you need:-

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 parsnips, peeled and cut in half inch dice

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons oregano

a couple pinches of pepper

1 tablespoon honey

1½ cups orzo

4 cups vegetable stock

¼ cup sherry

½ cup frozen peas

1 cup chopped cooked ham

chopped parsley or dried parsley

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan with a lid or a stove top casserole. (I use my shallow Le Creuset casserole dish.)

Gently sauté the onion over medium heat until it begins to soften. Add the diced parsnips, carrots, oregano and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When the vegetables all begin to soften a bit (this will take at least fifteen minutes), add the honey and stir to coat the vegetables. Now stir in the orzo.

Add the sherry and vegetable stock and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to a simmer, put the lid on the pan and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender.  Be sure to keep the heat low and stir frequently or the mixture will stick to the pan.

Stir in the ham and the peas, adding a bit more stock if the mixture needs it, and heat through for about five minutes.

Serve garnished with the parsley.

The 21st Century Housewife's© Leek, Beef and Beer Stew with Carrot and Parsnip Mash

This is a gorgeous, warming stew for a blustery winter’s evening. The carrot and parsnip mash gives a lovely hit of color alongside the stew, and it’s a great way to get your antioxidants this time of year.

This recipe will serve four, but don’t worry if there are only two of you, the leftovers taste lovely if you cool them quickly, store in the fridge and re-heat thoroughly the next day!

For the stew:-
2 tablespoons butter
3 or 4 leeks, washed and sliced in thin slices
about 500 grams of chuck steak, cut in chunks
275 ml bottle lager beer (I use Coors light)
250 ml beef stock (ready-made or from a cube is fine)
1 bay leaf
1 generous spoonful of red pesto or tomato paste (tomato puree in the UK)
150 grams orzo

For the mash:-
3 – 4 carrots, washed, peeled and cut in chunks
3 parsnips, washed, peeled and cut in chunks
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350℉ or 170℃.

In a large stove top to oven safe pan /casserole dish with a lid (I use a large shallow one by Le Creuset but a deeper one will work just as well), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leaks and fry for a few minutes until they are beginning to soften. Stir in the beef and cook until browned, stirring pretty much constantly.

Pour in the lager and the beef stock. Bring the mixture to the boil. Stir in the bay leaf and the red pesto or tomato paste.

Put the lid on the casserole and carefully put in the oven. Cook for an hour and fifteen minutes, stirring once after about forty minutes. If it looks like it is cooking too quickly, lower the heat a bit.

When there are about ten minutes left to go, steam the carrots and parsnips on the stove-top until tender. Drain and mash with the butter and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside to keep warm, or place in a covered casserole dish in a low oven.

Remove the stew from the oven and place the casserole on a heat-proof surface. Add the orzo and stir. There should still be a fair amount of liquid in the stew, but if not, add a bit of boiling water just so the orzo has liquid to absorb. Stir again.

Cover the casserole and return to the oven for ten minutes. Remove once again and check the liquid level. If it has all been absorbed, add a tiny bit more boiling water (only a little!). Return the casserole the oven for five to ten minutes more. At this point, the orzo should be tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed.

Serve the stew and mash with some warmed crusty rolls.

By the way, it is easy to make vegetable mashes and they are a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes served with just about anything. As well as carrot and parsnip mash, you could try parsnip and turnip (swede in the UK) or butternut squash and sweet potato. Just steam the vegetables and mash with butter and seasoning as above.