I wanted my last recipe of November to be a preview of what’s to come: warm, cozy and delicious winter food. If you love cheese half as much as I do, then you’ll love this orzo dish I came up with. If you don’t know what it is, orzo looks like rice but it’s actually a pasta. What’s better than cheese-covered carbohydrates? Nothing, DUH!

2 c. orzo, cooked
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour
2 c. milk or cream (whatever you have)
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 medium sized zucchini
1 red pepper
1 tbs. minced garlic
1-2 tbs. oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash vegetables and remove seeds from red pepper. Roughly chop into large chunks, cover with oil and garlic, then place on pan to roast in oven for 5-10 minutes until soft. Once cooled, chop into bite sized pieces. In a pan on the stove, make a roux (melting butter with flour until thick), then add milk. Stir until it starts to thicken. Add in cheese, orzo and vegetables. Serve immediately.

Note for making superb orzo:Truthfully, you can add whatever vegetables you have in the house. This would be fantastic with broccoli or even asparagus! Hate vegetables? Don’t put any in (it could be a very quick and easy spin on mac-n-cheese). If you do decide to use red peppers, make sure you remove the skin after roasting (sometimes it can be really thick and hard to chew). I used this as an entree, but the dish would be fantastic as a side.

Ah, the end of my first month! To tell you the truth, it really feels like I’ve been doing this for a million years… But FEAR NOT: it’s been awesome (especially because I’ve been eating like a QUEEN). Thanks to everyone who has been reading! Things are only getting started and I have way more tricks up my sleeve… STAY TUNED!