"DIRTY ORZO' is just plain delicious!

I am very fortunate in the fact that my husband is a wonderful cook, plus he usually does the dishes every night -- yes, he is a "KEEPER!!" His specialty is using up all the odds and ends in our fridge and pantry and making something delicious. Here is one of his, and my, favorite creations!! And for a bonus, a variation of his recipe that I created last week -- Dirty Orzo Stuffed Peppers!! Enjoy our comfort food with a nod to New Orleans!

“G$’s DIRTY ORZO” (GREG’s SAUSAGE & CHICKEN OVER ORZO)

Olive oil
3 Sweet Italian sausages, casings removed1 red pepper, seeded & small dice
½ medium white onion, small diced
1 TBSP minced garlic
2 marinated & grilled chicken breasts, large dice
fresh Thai basil, chopped
Olive oil
Siracha hot sauce
5 TBSP tomato puree
1 chicken broth packet (or one bullion cube)
½ cup water
½ cup white wine
1 TBSP cornstarch
Geasoning OR salt & pepper, to taste
1 ½ cup cooked orzo pasta (or other pasta, noodles or rice)

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, brown the sausage in 1 TBSP olive oil. Break up the sausages while sautéing. Remove sausage & sauté the aromatics (peppers, onions and garlic) in the fond (bits and sausage fat left in the pan) until they begin to soften – you may need to adjust the heat, as you do not want to brown the aromatics.

Meanwhile, make a quick pesto mixing enough basil, olive oil, and Siracha to equal about 1 Tablespoon. Add the pesto and tomato puree to the aromatics. Add the cooked chicken and sausage back to the pan.

Make chicken boullion using water & wine (or add pre-made broth or stock) and whisk in the cornstarch. Pour into pan and mix well.

Simmer over medium-low to medium for about 10 minutes. Taste & adjust seasonings. Serve over hot pasta, noodles or rice. –Courtesy of G$ -- September 11, 2005.

*TC’s Variation: DIRTY ORZO STUFFED PEPPERS
Omit the sausages & chicken breast, but use 20 oz. pkg of Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Lean Ground Turkey.
Heat a large pan over med-hi heat, spray with olive oil once hot. Sauté sausage, breaking up with a hand-held potato masher as it cooks. Add ½ a medium sweet onion (diced), one bell pepper (seeded and diced), and 1 tsp minced garlic (more if you desire). (If you’d like to make it spicier, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes at this point.) Sauté until vegetables are soft and translucent.
As vegetables sauté, add 4 oz. orzo to well-salted boiling water, cook 6 to 8 minutes, draining when al dente.
To the sausage mixture, add 4 oz. pesto (I used homemade that I keep pre-portioned in the freezer), 3 TBSP tomato paste, 1 medium tomato (seeded and diced), and ½ cup chicken stock (I use the cooking water from the orzo and 2 packets ‘Herb-ox Sodium Free Instant Broth & Seasoning.’ Stir in 3 TBSP grater Parmesan cheese and ½ to 1 tsp of Geasoning. Taste and reseaon if necessary.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Halve 3 to 5 bell peppers from top to bottom and remove seeds. If necessary, slice a small sliver from the rounded outer part of the pepper half to enable it to stand. Fill the pepper halves with the orzo mixture and place in baking dish. Pour another ¼ to ½ cup of stock around the base of the peppers and cover baking dish tightly with foil. Put into preheated oven for 25 to 40 minutes or until peppers are just tender. Remove foil and sprinkle tops of peppers with more Parmesan cheese. If desired, broil on high 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned. ENJOY! --TC