Greek Style Orzo Bowls with Whipped Feta + Chimichurri

We LIVE for Greek food at our house.  We’re seeking out Mediterranean take out on the regular, obsessed with Greek salads from anywhere (it’s one of my husbands faves), and currently trying to master our own at-home falafel.  We’ve had many iterations of the whole falafel thing, and are still trying to work out the kinks.  But what I’m ultimately saying is we love a dinner spread that goes great with a soft + fluffy pita or a smear of baba-ghanoush.  We’ve become a little Mediterrean cuisine obsessed, and v-interested in expanding the Greek inspired meals were making at-home.

In the spirit of keeping things all veggie + incorporating my number one go-to ingredient - roasted cauliflower - I wanted to make us a bowl style dinner composed of varying components that all come together for a composed + tasty Mediterranean-vibe meal.  And of course present something that was fun to eat. Greek Style Orzo Bowls with Whipped Feta + Chimichurri - I’m in love.  A perfect “bowl” style meal that I’m pretty dang excited to make again.  The orzo is the bulk of the meal - loaded with kale + olives and cooked in a light + bright lemon sauce (so fun!), and the feta + chimichurri cauliflower are like flamboyant back up dancers.  So many bold + yummy flavors that just are so good in one very easy at-home dinner. & topped with browned lemon slices - such a fancy little garnish for my little weeknight meal.

Chimichurri Cauliflower

Made Pinch of Yum’s Chimichurri Portobellos, and I’ve been heavily influenced.  Specifically by this chimichurri sauce.  It’s bright + vinegary + just packed with so many herbs to get this thick green sauce that so bright + refreshing + light.  Like a vinegary pesto, and it’s literal heaven!  & I kid you not the moment I whipped up the portobello shrooms, my first thought was “this sauce would taste great on cauliflower.”  & that’s really how we got started on these bowls!  Chimichurri cauliflower was the base of the meal, and everything else I chose to go in these bowls had to be evaluated on whether or not they’d go well with chimichurri cauli.

I like an herby sauce, and for me that means a chunky, thick chimichurri. Heavy on the parsley + cilantro for a sauce that is truly hearty + bright.

The cauliflower is roasted with paprika + cumin (and of course salt + pepper), & sits on a smear of whipped feta with a drizzle of the chimichurri right on top. It’s like sharp, bright flavor on top of sharp, bright flavor.  The chimichurri sauce has this vinegary bite to it, which I love, and feta is feta.  Both bold + bright, but the creaminess of whipping the feta, and having it be a velvety 2nd sauce for the cauliflower is real fun.

Bowl style meals

I live my life in a realm of bowl style meals.  Think about the concept of a rice bowl or mashed potato bowl - a base component (like rice or mashed potatoes) piled with 2 or 3 fun extras that are sauced, flavorful, and very satisfying when scooped up with whatever the the base is.  Like Asian rice bowls where the rice gets coated in a sticky teriyaki or stir fry sauce. Or mashed potated bowls loaded with herbs + veggies + Swedish meatlballs. That sauce and all those extra bits scooped up with the fluffy potatoes. It’s just a fun way to eat. In this bowl variety - we’re trading rice or potatoes for pasta, and bulk of my bowl was the orzo pasta.  I love cooking with orzo.  And I love cooking with green olives.  Both of which I don’t cook often, but putting the two together in my cast iron just felt very dinner on a boat in Greece to me.  Like a meal they’d serve on Below Deck, ya know?  I guess that’s honestly the perfect description for the inspiration of this meal.  

If I’m making pasta, I have to have it loaded with veggies - my rule being that every bite of pasta comes with a bite veggies (it’s honestly just so much more enjoyable for me that way).  I put in nearly an entire bunch of kale with my orzo, letting it cook down and tenderize with the pasta, and that did the trick.  Combine thee greens with a plentiful amount of olives, this orzo was loaded!

Fancy lemons

The sauce is super light.  Just enough to add flavor, but not a sauce that’s thick enough to visibly coat what you’re cooking (in this case orzo + kale + olives).  It’s a combo of fresh lemon + garlic + wine (and a bit of chicken broth if needed) - the pasta toasts + then simmers in this combo, and absorbs all the bright flavors.  The orzo toasts with garlic until the garlic is fragrant + just lightly browned, and then de-glaze the pan with wine. & de-glazing anything with wine is honestly the key to some of the best sauces.

The key for taste + presentation - char those lemons!  By kick-starting the process with sizzling lemon slices, and letting the juice get extracted with melted butter - you’re building the base for the pasta + the sauce + setting the orzo up for success.  What I actually learned is that browned lemon slices just look so damn sophisticated + charming, and I feel like placing the lemon slices right on top of my bowls for serving was quite the elevation to this at-home comfort meal.  A little strategic visual to really take my weeknight meal up a notch.

Pro-tip: don’t underestimate the use of a cast iron skillet or enamel coated pan (really just skip the non-stick). From the lemons to the orzo itself, having a cast iron really crisps up the whole thing. Just stir consistently + use a spatula to regularly scrape the bottom to avoid sticking. So simple.

So good.  So easy.  So at-home Greek.  & so fun to eat.  The funnest dinners are ones that have so many unique components that are fun to eat together.  The “a little of this with a little of that” concept, and this dinner fit the bill.  Because everything here tasted real good with a dip of the fork in the whipped feta or a topping of the chimichurri mixed in.

For the chimichurri cauliflower

• 1/2 c. parsley + 1/2 c. cilantro, minced

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 c. + 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• large pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1/4 tsp. salt + pepper

For the whipped feta

• 1-6 oz. block of feta

• 1/4 c. Greek yogurt

• squeeze of fresh lemon juice (like 1/4 of a lemon)

• 2 tbsp EVOO

For the orzo

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 c. dry orzo

• 1/2 c. dry white wine

• 2-3 tbsp chicken broth (maybe a little extra)

• 1 bunch of kale, stem removed + torn into bite size pieces

• heaping 1/2 c. green olives

• salt + pepper

Start by making the chimichurri cauliflower. Preheat the oven to 400. Stir together the minced herbs + garlic. Whisk in 1/2 c. EVOO + red wine vinegar until emulsified. Add in the red pepper flakes. Set aside in the fridge until ready to eat. Place the cauliflower florets on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining EVOO, cumin, and salt + pepper. Stir together, and bake for 25-30 minutes (until tender + lightly browned).

For the whipped feta, place the feta, yogurt + lemon juice in a food processor and puree for 60 seconds. With the motor running, add in the EVOO. Scrape into a bowl + set in the fridge until you’re ready to plate.

Now time for pasta. Melt the butter in your cast iron over medium high heat. Once melted, add the lemon slices, cooking for 2 minutes on each side. Remove + set them on a plate. Add in the garlic + dried orzo, and toast in the hot pan for a minute. De-glaze the pan with the wine, and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer on medium high for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until the liquid is almost fully cooked off. Add in 1/2 c. water, and continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, letting it cook for another 3-5 minutes. The pasta should absorb the wine. Add in the chicken stock (or more water) a tbsp at a time if you need more liquid. Stir in a pinch of salt + pepper. Add in the kale + turn the heat to low, Cover + cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in the tender kale into the orzo (it should be cooked down). Add in the olives + stir to combine. Once all components are warm, add the sauteed lemon back into the skillet, resting the slices on top of the skillet.

To plate, spread a smear of the whipped feta on one side of the plate (a generous smear). On the other half of the plate, so not directly on top of the feta, scoop on some of the orzo. Nestle the cauliflower right in between the two so it’s sitting on some of the feta, and spoon some of the chimichurri right on top.