Farmers' Market Shrimp Orzo

For me, inspiration for cooking comes from a lot of different places. It can be a dish I had at a restaurant that I want to re-create, or the idea of a place I have traveled or want to travel and I try to think of ways to incorporate the essence of that place into a meal so I can experience it at home. I've mentioned in my other Farmers' Market pieces that inspiration comes from perusing the stands at the market for new and interesting fruits, vegetables, or herbs. And sometimes inspiration comes from food I've seen cooked on The Food Network or pictures of dishes in magazines or on Pinterest. Honestly, I'm so in love with food and cooking that inspiration can come from anywhere.

The inspiration for today's dish came from my pseudo-stepsister/friend, Lindsay. She sent me this recipe she made for herself and her hubby and thought I could play around with the basic idea and make it my own. It was such a unique idea and I loved it, so I got to work thinking of ways to give it that voraceRachel touch! I decided to go with a Greek version, since this recipe included orzo and orzo is prominent in Greek food. I chose to add wine, onion, feta, and oregano, all of which were not in the original recipe.

I got this idea the day before my weekly trip to the farmers' market so I decided to look for the ingredients I would need while I was there. Usually I go to the farmers' market with no idea what I'm going to make and let the ingredients I find dictate what I'm going to cook. But this time it was different. I knew what I wanted to make ahead of time and went to the market in search of specific ingredients: grape tomatoes, an onion, and fresh oregano. The fresh oregano was a no-go, but there were plenty of grape tomatoes and onions to choose from. I went with a bright white onion and a pint of tomatoes of all different shades and colors. Aren't they lovely?

One thing I really love about this recipe is that it's all made in one pot! That makes clean up so quick and easy. You just leave your leftovers in the pot, stick it in the fridge, wash your cutting board and a few utensils and call it a night! Love that.

One thing to note: Make sure you have a Dutch oven or a large skillet with high sides that can go in the oven. You're going to start this recipe on the stove and then transfer it to the oven, so an oven-proof pot or skillet with a tight-fitting lid is a must.

OK ladies and gents! Let's get cookin'!



Greek Inspired Shrimp Orzo

Servings: 6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
10 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 pound dry orzo pasta
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay - your choice!)
1 pound raw uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place a Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Add 6 teaspoons of EVOO and all of the garlic to the pot. Let the garlic cook for one minute.

Add all of the chopped onions and let cook for two minutes.

Season the onions with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (heretofore referred to as FCBP), and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate that into the onions.

After the onions have cooked for five minutes total and they have become slightly softened, add in the whole grape tomatoes. Sprinkle them with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon FCBP. Turn the heat up to high and let them cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the tomatoes have started to soften, stir in 1 teaspoon of the chopped fresh oregano.

Reduce the heat to medium and add in the orzo. Stir it into the veggies.

Next, pour in the chicken stock and wine.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and stir.

Bring this just to a simmer, stirring regularly to make sure that none of the pasta sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Once this concoction is simmering, remove it from the heat and place the lid on the pot. Place the pot in the oven on the top rack. Cook for ten minutes.

While the orzo is cooking, prepare the shrimp. Place them in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon FCBP, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss to coat them in these ingredients.

Once the orzo has been cooking for ten minutes, take the pot out of the oven and remove the lid. Set your oven to broil on high.

Use a fork to search through the pasta for the cherry tomatoes. Use the tines to pop the tomatoes and then squish them so that the juices spill out into the pasta.

Stir in the feta crumbles and then make sure the pasta is somewhat smoothed out on top.

Dump the shrimp on the top of the pasta. Arrange them in a single layer.

Place the pot back in the oven to broil the shrimp.

This will take anywhere from five to ten minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler. Just check on them periodically and remove the pot when the shrimp have curled and turned pink.

To serve, scoop large spoonfuls of the pasta and shrimp out of the Dutch oven onto your dinner plates. Serve hot and enjoy! Salute!

And a BIG thanks to Lindsay for thinking of me with this recipe! Loved it!