I know that some of you were probably worrying these past few days over what I was going to do with all of those leftover vegetables I roasted for the monster salad I made last week. All that food potentially going to waste, it would be such a travesty. Truth be told, I’m not always efficient at using the leftovers I have in my fridge and may often find a forgotten tupperware from dinners past in the fridge weeks later that I have to send straight to the composting. But not this time, no sir, roasted fennel and beets must be used to their maximum capacity and here I had to get a little creative.
Since I haven’t used beets or fennel a lot in my cooking I really had very little idea of where to start when I went to plan this meal. I know that people like to pair beets with blue cheese but I had some Boursin cheese in the fridge and wondered if that would do the trick. Besides the cheese, I am known for having quite a developed grains section in my pantry and so I pulled out some whole wheat orzo to see what would happen. The result is a simple, admittedly unphotogenic but oh so very tasty meal that has a lot of flavor.
Boursin cheese is that stuff you may have seen on many an appetizer plate that has a texture and look very similar to cream cheese but comes in a variety of flavors. I chose the garlic and herbs version, and it really helped to hold the pasta together and gave this dish a rich flavor without making a sauce. Sauces scare me, they can be so right but go so wrong in an instant and I like to stay away from foods that call for such a delicate situation. However, I am now so taken with this cheese that I am planning a brown rice and pomegranate version tonight. Cooking on the fly, what a rush. We shall see…stay tuned.
Roasted Fennel and Beets with Orzo
serves 4-5
1 diced shallot
1 large clove of garlic, diced
1 1/2c. roasted fennel and beets (see previous post for instructions)
1 1/2c. whole wheat orzo
1/3c. toasted pine nuts
2c. chopped chard
1/2c. Boursin cheese
olive oil
salt
pepper
Fill a medium saucepan about 2/3 of the way up with water and bring to a boil. Add a half of a teaspoon of grinded sea salt to the water and add the orzo. Cook for about 7-9 minutes or until mostly cooked through. When the orzo is done, drain the pasta in a strainer and dry the pot with a towel. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the shallots and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the beets and fennel and cook until heated through. Pour the pasta back into the pan and add the cheese and chard, mixing thoroughly and making sure the chard is incorporated so that it starts to wilt. Before serving, mix the pine nuts in, season with salt and pepper, and serve with a big green salad.
