I don’t know about you, but I am a big fan of one dish meals when cooking at home. They are fuss-free, require minimal preparation, and can easily feed a crowd (or a family of 2 for a few meals.) When you have seasonal, jewel-toned produce like these crisp green beans, succulent red tomatoes, and vibrant purple basil, you don’t need much else; the ingredients do the work for you. The cook’s job is to accentuate their natural beauty, so to speak. No need to break your back over a soufflé or distort lovely ingredients into crazy gastronomical experiments (unless that’s what you want!) Keep it simple. You won’t sacrifice any of the flavor; I guarantee it.
Now, if only we could embody this less-is-more philosophy in other areas of our lives. We live in this crazy society, this so-forwards-it’s-backwards culture that propels us to believe we can’t be happy until we get the next best [fill in the blank with what you are currently coveting here] car, house, spouse, zip code, job, family, promotion, and the list goes on. And it creates this ugly, insatiable tension within that can eat us alive if we don’t watch out. So today, in keeping with the “less-is-more” theme, I challenge you (along with myself) to savor the small stuff. Focus on what you do have, and be content in that. Whether it’s the food in your pantry or the one who’s beside you, be grateful and spread the light. ¡Buen provecho!
- ½ pound fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut in half
- 1 pound fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 package (1 lb) orzo pasta
- ¾ pound turkey (or other lean meat) sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 3 Tablespoons good olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- basil ( I used purple basil for an extra pop of color)
- Wash and trim green beans. Blanch green beans by bringing a large pot of water (about 5 cups) to a boil and adding in green beans. Lower heat to medium and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes. Get a bowl of ice water ready and set by the stove.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer green beans to ice bath to stop cooking and maintain crispness. Using the same water (or a new pot of water) bring back to a boil and add in orzo pasta. Cook according to package directions, usually about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, cut up tomatoes and mince garlic.
- Drain pasta but reserve about 1 cup starchy pasta water. Add orzo pasta to a large serving bowl, along with green beans.
- In a skillet, add sausage and cook over medium heat until browned, about 6-7 minutes. Halfway in, add the minced garlic and a little olive oil if it seems dry. When sausage is cooked, drain if necessary (if there's a lot of extra liquid.) Add to pasta and green beans.
- Mix in tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Garnish with basil and serve hot or room temperature.
Matthew 6:25- 26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
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