Cooking with Solidteknics - Roasted Vegetable Orzo Recipe

We've teamed up with talented chef Jo Kenny (@jogirleatsworld) who has created a delicious and flavourful roasted vegetable orzo recipe, using our Solidteknics all in one wrought iron pan.

I have been using the Solidteknics 35cm all-in-one pan for a few months now and I can easily say that it has become one of my most treasured pieces in my kitchen. Being an extra large pan it makes cooking a breeze with no overspill and of course the capacity to cook for larger groups with ease. I am so impressed with its versatility and having now tested it out with endless dishes I cannot think of anything I couldn’t prepare using this pan. From quesadillas, to noodles, to chicken cutlets to risottos. This pan has done it all, and made many of the other pans in the cupboard obsolete in the process.

Family Style Dining:

My personal cooking style has always swayed towards really hearty home cooking with a rustic edge, and I love to enhance the feel of my food with family style dining. That is, piling up delicious platters and dishes and pans with food and serving them at the table - allowing everyone to help themselves. For me, this type of dining feels friendly and inviting. No matter what you serve it will feel like a real feast. This style also gives everyone control over what their meal looks like, which is of course hugely important if everyone is to enjoy themselves. For this reason the 35cm all-in-one pan fits perfectly with my style of cooking. The two handles built directly into the pan make it a really versatile piece to both cook in and then bring to the table. The large pan really does add some wow factor when it arrives in front of hungry eyes!

Roasted Vegetable Orzo:

The recipe that I am sharing is for a wonderful roasted vegetable orzo. All cooked in the pan of course. With no long handle this pan easily fits into the oven as well as for cooking on the hob. We’ll be using both in this recipe.

This recipe will serve 4 hungry people or 6 looking for a lighter bite. This recipe also lends itself perfectly to cooking in bulk and enjoying some delicious dinners ready to go throughout the week.

• Serves: 4-6
• Prep time: 5 mins
• Cooking time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 aubergine, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 100g vine ripened tomatoes, halved
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp sumac
• 100g orzo
• 700ml vegetable stock
• 40g feta
• Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Aim to have your vegetables diced into similar bitesize pieces. This will ensure even cooking and also make the dish extra enjoyable to both look at and eat.

Method:

Begin by preheating your oven to 160c. To your Solidteknics all-in-one pan add the diced aubergine, red onion, pepper, tomatoes and garlic. Pour over the olive oil and Worcestershire sauce and then add the oregano, cumin and sumac. Season well with salt and pepper and then give all of this a good stir to evenly coat the vegetables.

Place the pan in the oven for the vegetables to roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway to ensure they roast evenly. Once cooked, remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside for now.

Add the pan to your hob and heat on medium. Into the pan add the orzo and vegetable stock. Cook this for 15 minutes whilst stirring regularly. The orzo should be tender with a little chewiness to it and the liquid will have cooked off.

Now return your roasted vegetables to the pan with the orzo and stir through. To finish, crumble over the feta and sprinkle a lovely green garnish of fresh parsley. Bring the pan to the dinner table for serving and enjoy.

Serving suggestion:

This roasted vegetable orzo dish is full of flavour and just wonderful just as it is. But if you are entertaining (or not!) you may wish to add some sides for some more dimension . Here are my suggestions for lovely complimentary flavours:

• A fresh rocket salad finished with a lemon vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, honey and cracked black pepper.
• For garnish, a bowl of natural yoghurt finished with olive oil, garlic and pepper.

Storage:

As mentioned this dish lends itself really well to cooking ahead of time. So, if you’re a fan of cooking in bulk to ensure you’ve got something delicious to eat and the end of the long and busy weekday then you can absolutely portion up this dish for freezing, or store in an airtight container to enjoy within a week of cooking. When reheating I recommend adding a little olive oil to loosen up the orzo and of course heat it up gently using the Solidteknics all-in-one pan.

Cost per use:

This simple mantra has always been the way that I decide what purchases I make. I am careful with my money and like to invest in quality over quantity. Nothing disappoints me more than treating myself to an item only to have it fall apart well before its time. What a waste!

There are aspects of my life where I am particularly passionate about investing in quality and it comes as no surprise that long lasting cookware is important to me. Cooking takes place every day, often multiple times a day! And reliable tools make all the difference in the enjoyment of these daily tasks. Whether it’s a lovely sharp knife that’ll breeze through food prep, hardy cutlery that will withstand thousands of dishwasher runs or an infallible pan that does it all and saves on washing up… it all adds up to reduced stress in the kitchen.

For me, if I am going to use it most days, then it is worth investing in. Cost per use!

Girl Eats World:

Jo Kenny is a food writer and published author. You can find all of her recipes and more food content at her website GirlEatsWorld.co.uk. Her debut cookbook Cook It, Eat It, Live It is also available to buy online. And finally, you can also keep up to date with Jo on social media at @jogirleatsworld.

We test our products over the course of years. Read our five-year Solidteknics review here.

In need of some tasty breakfast inspiration? Take a look at Jo's breakfast veggie quesadilla recipe (see how to make it here).