This recipe is a dish I made when I was in pastry school in 2010. One of the chefs came in announcing a contest for Vegetarian Times. I believe I had 2 days to enter and excited I went home that afternoon and started brainstorming. Below is the dish I came up with, edited and organized by the fine folks at Vegetarian Times, that made me one of the finalists!
Ingredients
Serves 8
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 16-oz. pkg. orzo
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling, optional
16 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 12-oz. pkg. soft silken tofu, drained
2 Hass avocados, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 1/2 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
Instructions
1. Bring broth to a boil in large pot over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and transfer to large bowl.
2. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and saute 5 minutes, or until browned. Add mushrooms and pan juices to orzo.
3. Blend tofu and avocado cubes with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in blender until smooth and creamy. Transfer to small saucepan, and add basil, cilantro, lime juice, soy sauce, oregano, cumin, and coriander. Warm over low heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until hot, but not boiling. Stir avocado sauce into orzo mixture, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
