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Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Thursday, March 1, 2012

This time of year just calls for soup, don't you think? And with my new found love of orzo pasta, I made this! It made a pretty big pot of soup, and after serving myself,  IT Guy and #1 son, then sending some home with my daughter for her and her family, there was NONE left! Oh wait...I take that back...there was enough to send for IT Guy's lunch the next day. (Apparently we're a hungry bunch!) I wanted to use diced tomatoes, but I was out. Then I thought..no big deal, I'll just use tomato sauce. Again, I was out. I did manage to scrounge up a can of El Pato (mexican style tomato sauce) so I poured that in. It gave the soup a really good kick. But if you don't care for extra kick then make sure you add plain tomato sauce. Anyway you make it, you'll be glad you did!! It's very good!!!!

Orzo and Meatball Soup



1 pound ground beef
½ onion – finely diced
1 egg
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 carrots - diced
3 stalks celery – diced
1 ½ cups orzo pasta
1 -2 cloves garlic – minced
1 32-ounce chicken stock
1 32-ounce beef stock
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce OR 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well and form into 1-inch sized meatballs.

In a large stock pot, sauté diced carrots, diced celery and minced garlic until just tender.

Add stocks and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil.

Gently add uncooked meatballs and continue to cook for about an hour.

Add orzo and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes until orzo is done.


The ingredients. You can use canned diced tomatoes or plain tomato sauce. I used El Pato...Mexican Style tomato sauce for extra zing. (Excuse the partially frozen ground beef. I'll get my timing right at some point, I'm sure.)


Saute the garlic, carrots and celery for a bit.


Then add the liquid ingredients.


After that comes to a boil, slowly add the meatballs. Oops..I forgot to include pictures of the meatball making, but you probably already know how to do that. It ain't rocket science.


After your meatballs have cooked in the broth a while, 
have your cute little kitchen helper add the orzo.


Then ask that same little helper to stir, stir, stir!!


Here it is!! All done and ready to eat!!