We have quite a few chickens. They make cute pets, which was a surprise to me when we started keeping them. If you raise them from chicks, they know your voice and they will come if called, just like a dog or cat. It is so cute! Plus they lay tasty eggs. I’m always looking for new recipes using eggs or creative ways to make use of them. This is a simple and quick but satisfying recipe of tasty buttery orzo with leeks and parmesan, topped with a slightly runny, crispy fried egg. The orzo is cooked more like risotto here, to give a creamier end result.
I decided to serve it with this raw beet and carrot salad with tahini dressing. I added some fennel and apple to the salad as well, and topped with some feta I had left in my fridge.
Orzo:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 leeks, cleaned and finely diced
- 16 oz orzo
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4-5 fried eggs
In a sauce pan, warm the broth and keep it warm on low. In a large skillet, melt the butter and oil, and add the leeks, garlic, and onion. Cook until softened, then add the orzo and toast it for a bit. Pour in the wine, and allow to cook until mostly evaporated. Pour 2/3 cup of warm broth in at a time and allow the orzo to cook until it evaporates. Keep doing this until the orzo is correctly cooked. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup parm and some pepper. Taste and season.
Fry the eggs in a hot pan and some oil until ready. Top bowls of orzo with the eggs and remaining parm. Serve with some hot sauce if you like.
I used my mandolin to get thin veggie slices for this salad. I love using it for salads like this, or to make thin slices of potato for chips. Basically any time you want very thin slices of any veggie or fruit. I have a fancy Japanese one I got as a gift, but a cheaper one works just as well.
Salad:
- 1 small bunch beets, cleaned and peeled
- 3 carrots, washed
- 1 bulb fennel washed and trimmed
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 honey crisp apple
- 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
- juice of one lemon
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Use the mandolin or a sharp knife to thinly slice the vegetables into reasonable size pieces. Mix the dressing ingredients together and mix with all the veggies other than beets. Toss the beets with some salt and pepper and add them last so they don’t turn the whole salad pink. Adjust seasoning and top with feta and serve.