In my quest to consume more veggies and less salt, I came across this recipe last week.
It was actually in one of my old Weight Watchers cookbooks. I’ve gotten a few other recipes from this cookbook over the years, but many of the recipes are super lean and fell to the wayside in favor of richer, more indulgent meals.
Hence the fact that I’m overweight.
::sigh::
Top 3 reasons this made my menu this week:
1. Low salt/no cheese
2. Easy
3. Vegetarian
Let me say, this dish delivered!
I was a little worried that it would be bland or taste “too healthy” to be enjoyable, but I was pleasantly surprised by what this meal had to offer.
The garlic and ginger provided lots of flavor and the olive oil added richness. Because I went a little heavy on the garlic and ginger, it even had a little spice kick to it.
After a few bites I found myself wanting something a little crunchy, so I sprinkled some slivered almonds on top and they were a perfect addition! Toasted walnuts would be great too.
Without further ado, here are the details…
Orzo with Garlic Ginger Veggies
adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
Serves 6 at 3 points per serving
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled and minced*
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups sliced baby carrots
- 2 cups sliced baby zucchini
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- ¾ cup chicken or veggie stock
- 2½ cups cooked orzo (rice shaped pasta)
- salt and pepper to taste
- slivered almonds or roasted walnut pieces (optional)
- In a wok or large skillet over low heat, heat the olive oil. Saute the ginger root and garlic until they are golden (be careful not to burn them!).
- Increase the heat to high; add the carrots. Stir fry, adding the zucchini, bell peppers and broth. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies are tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the orzo and ground pepper (salt too if you can!), mix well and serve immediately. Top with nuts (or chicken if you're a carnivore) and enjoy!
*A handy tip for using fresh ginger root. Buy a large piece and store it FOREVER in a ziplock bag in your freezer. You can just cut off a frozen chunk each time you need it. When frozen, it’s especially easy to peel (with a potato peeler) and once it sits out for about 5 minutes it’s usually thawed enough to chop up. My ginger is probably 2 years old and still tastes great!
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