Orzo is a durum wheat pasta but looks like large grains of rice. It really lends itself to salads. I always cook pasta al dente, but for this dish it’s particularly important not to overcook the pasta or it will be mushy.

This dish is a great accompaniment to BBQ food and we particularly like it served with lamb and halloumi kebabs. Some of the marinade in the below recipe is for the salad and the rest is to pour over the lamb pieces for the kebabs. If you don’t fancy the lamb, the marinade keeps well in the fridge for quite a while.   

Ingredients for orzo salad

(serves four)

• 300g of orzo
• 80ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 65ml of red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• A pinch of dried crushed chillies  
• Ground black pepper
• 4 whole spring onions, sliced thinly
• Chopped fresh mint to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice to taste
• Salt

Method

• Bring a saucepan of well-salted water to boil and cook the orzo according to the packet instructions.

• Drain and rinse immediately with cold water and put in a bowl.

• In a small container (with lid) combine the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, crushed chillies, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper (to taste). Put the lid on and give a good shake.

• Add 80ml of the mixture to the orzo and give a thorough mix (pour the rest over the meat and halloumi to marinade if you’re making kebabs).

• Mix the spring onions, mint, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pinch of pepper into the orzo. Check the seasoning and lemon juice and add more if required.

The mint in the salad works particularly well with the lamb but can be omitted. Similarly the rest of the ingredients can be altered to taste.

You might also like:

Easy Pancetta and Cheese Muffins

Cod fish cakes 

Pork, Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Stew

Turkey Burgers – Cheap, Quick and Easy

Rice Dishes for Children

The post Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe appeared first on The Parent Social.

Family meal recipes and ideas

Turkey Burgers

Really cheap and easy to make, turkey burgers are a healthier alternative to beef burgers (though we love those too). I use frozen chopped onions for extra speed and less tears. I also make up extra patties to put into the freezer. Turkey Burgers recipe.

Pork, Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Stew

This is a great winter warmer. It’s really cheap and easy to make, but requires a couple hours of cooking. Here’s the recipe:  http://www.theparentsocial.com/family-favourites-pork-chorizo-and-cannellini-bean-stew/

Light Chicken Korma

This Korma recipe uses fat-free Greek yogurt instead of cream for a healthier family meal option. It’s quick and very easy to prepare and doesn’t require much cooking time. We omit the sugar and it still tastes great. Here’s the recipe: Korma. If you’re after a really authentic Indian treat then I can highly recommend the pre-prepared freezer meals of Mandira’s Kitchen.

Pizzette 

These mini puff pastry pizzas make a great snack/canapé or light lunch and is something that the kids can get involved with cooking. 

http://www.theparentsocial.com/pizzette-recipe-cooking-children/

Quick Chicken Stew

A great one pot meal that’s easy to do and as the name suggests doesn’t take an age to cook. For a family meal for five, I add two extra chicken breasts and an extra carrot. We do tend to have quite big portions though! Here’s the recipe.

Oven Baked Salmon

This is ludicrously easy and makes two meals if it’s just for the children (I’ll explain later).

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c (fan oven)
2. Use four boneless salmon steaks and put two steaks onto two pieces of foil
3. Score the steaks, squeeze some lemon juice over them, stick knobs of butter in the scored bits and add one chopped shallot over the top
4. Season and then parcel up and put in the oven for 25-30 mins (just check to see if cooked through)

I always make too much, so the next day I flake the cold leftovers and mix into couscous along with broccoli or peas (whichever I haven’t used the day before).

Winter Vegetable Soup

This is a really nice, smooth but thick winter warmer. Check out my recipe here: Winter Vegetable Soup

Cheat’s Jacket Potatoes

A quick way to get tasty crispy-skinned potatoes.

• Prick the potatoes several times with a fork
• Microwave at 900W for three minutes, turn the potatoes and microwave for a further three minutes
• Brush with oil and season
• Put in an oven pre-heated to 230c (fan) for 25 minutes

Taco Rice and Bean Boats

These are super easy to make and the children absolutely love them. They’re more a quick mid-week dinner for the children than a big family meal. Here’s the recipe: Taco rice boats

Spaghetti Carbonara (serves 4)

This is a perennial favourite and really easy to do. I use the recipe from the bible of Italian cooking: The Silver Spoon cookbook (there’s also a Children’s Silver Spoon). There is NO cream in carbonara by the way

• 25g butter
• 100g cubed pancetta
• 3 whole peeled garlic cloves (recipe says one clove but even three isn’t very strong)
• One pack of spaghetti
• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 40g Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• 40g Pecorino (freshly grated)
• Salt and pepper

Method 

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add pancetta and garlic cloves and cook until garlic turns brown. Discard the garlic
2. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti for a minute less than packet instructions say in a large pan of salted boiling water
3. Drain the pasta, add to the pancetta and mix to coat
4. Remove pan from heat and pour in the eggs – my children prefer the egg to be better cooked so I usually leave on the heat for a few seconds longer
5. Add half the Parmesan and half the Pecorino and season to taste with pepper. Mix well, add the remaining cheese and mix again. Serve

Chilli Con Carne (serves 4)

A classic family meal favourite.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 400g lean beef mince
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 400g chopped tomatoes (tinned)
• 1 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
• ½ tsp cumin, ground
• black pepper (to taste)
• 400g kidney beans (or cannallini beans)

Method

Chicken Saltimbocca

This should actually be made with veal escalopes, but they aren’t always that easy to get hold of so I use chicken breasts instead and it’s still really tasty.

Chicken Saltimbocca

• Five chicken breasts
• Pack of prosciutto slices/Parma ham
• Fresh sage leaves
• 50g butter
• 100ml of dry white wine
• Salt
• Cocktail stick

1. Flatten the chicken so that it’s the thickness of an escalope (no need to do this if you’re actually using veal escalopes)
2. Place half-one slice of prosciutto on each escalope followed by one large sage leaf (or two small) secured in place with the cocktail stick
3. Melt butter in a frying pan and cook meat on both sides over a high heat until golden brown
4. Season with salt, pour in the wine and cook until the wine’s evaporated
5. Remove cocktail sticks and serve

Sausage and Bean Casserole

I use cannellini beans and 12 sausages instead of the eight it says in the recipe. If there’s any left over I serve it on top of rice the next day.

Salmon and Gruyere Quiche

Although this is fine in winter, it’s a great thing to make in summer when you can serve it cold with a salad.

http://www.theparentsocial.com/salmon-gruyere-quiche 

 Lamb Koftas

Just five ingredients in this family meal. I serve with pita breads, cheese, cucumber and tomatoes for the girls and my husband and I have them with a feta salad (that he makes with radishes, cucumber, onion), pitas and tzatziki.

Here’s the recipe.

Pan-Fried Lemon and Garlic Sea Bream

A new edition! My husband and I like sea bream but hadn’t tried it with the girls. However, when it was on offer in Sainsbury’s I had to give it a go. This was a surprise hit!

The below served four. It was meant to be five but the kids ate so much it didn’t! I serve with peas or broccoli (top tip: always have a stock of frozen veggies in the freezer).

• 6 boneless sea bream fillets (skin on)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• Juice of 1 and a half  lemons 
• Black pepper 

1. Place the fillets in a bowl and rub salt (to taste) on both sides
2. In another bowl mix the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice well. Pour this over the fillets and rub in well
3. Grind the black pepper over the fillets, cover and set aside to marinade for about two hours
4. Add a little oil into a non-stick frying pan and place on a medium high heat. When hot, put the sea bream in skin-side down and cook for 2-3 mins (until the skin is crispy).
5. Turn the fish over and cook for a couple more minutes until completely cooked

Serve with peas or samphire (we had that) and small roasted potatoes or  wholegrain rice for a healthier alternative.

* Please comment below with your family meal favourites.

The post Family Meal Inspiration for 2019 appeared first on The Parent Social.