Induction or Gas? Cook this Rainbow Pinto Pot with Orzo
A vegetarian, vegan-friendly one pot meal: perfect for testing a portable induction burner (and fast-tracking cleanup).
So you want to try out induction cooking. Maybe you borrowed a portable induction burner from the library. Or you’re just not ready for washing lots of dishes tonight. Then I’ve got a recipe for you!
You will only need one pot or skillet. One of the magnetic kind, to be specific. Why? Because of the way induction stoves work (read about it in “Induction or Gas?, Part 1”).
New here? Every month, Climate Culinarians picks one topic and publishes a series of newsletters about it, ending with a recipe (see the weekly structure here). This month was all about stoves. My newsletters are free, and if you want to support me: Like or share this, so more people get to read what I write. Subscribe to never miss a new post!
Rainbow Pinto Pot with Orzo
This one pot meal is perfect for trying out a portable induction burner: You will use different temperatures, see how fast the cooktop reacts, and how much heat it generates.
Okay, I admit that I cheated with my rainbow claim. This dish technically features purple (onions), but the color is barely visible. To make up for it, it has even more hues than a rainbow, with pink-tan pinto beans and brown mushrooms.
I believe a shared meal is the best opportunity to talk about climate solutions. And about stoves and energy and indoor air quality, of course. So I hope you’ll enjoy this colorful meal in good company.
Feeds four people.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
1 yellow bell pepper
100g mushrooms (1/2 box)
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or red chili flakes, to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (diced or chunky)
spinach, fresh or frozen (1 pack frozen, about 280g, or a few handfuls fresh)
200g (1 cup) cooked or canned pinto beans
120g (3/4 cup) orzo (uncooked)
feta cheese to taste
Make it:
If you use frozen spinach, get it out to thaw a little.
Mince red onion and garlic, chop bell pepper and mushrooms into small pieces.
In a large pot or skillet (high walls are good), heat oil and onion on medium-high (or try the highest and turn it down after a minute). Cook for about 5 min.
Add bell pepper and mushrooms, oregano, chili and salt. Turn heat to medium and cook another 5 min, stirring occasionally. The mushrooms should start to release liquid.
Push veggies to the side of the pot to make a little space in the middle. Add tomato paste there. Let it roast for 1 minutes, then gently stir just the tomato paste.
After another minute, stir the whole pan through. Add canned tomatoes, beans and half a cup of water.
If you use frozen spinach, break of a few chunks from the frozen block and add them to the pot now. If you use fresh spinach, you’ll only add it toward the end.
Turn heat up to medium-high, stir and bring to a gentle boil. This should happen pretty fast!
Add orzo (and, if using frozen spinach, more chunks) and stir, return heat to medium or low-medium. Sustain a simmer (so that you’ll see few bubbles, not a crazy boil). Cook for 18-20 minutes, adding spinach if there are any chunks left. Stir often! Especially in the beginning, the orzo has a tendency to stick to the bottom. Add a few tablespoons water if needed.
If using fresh spinach, add two handfuls 10 minutes after you added the orzo.
When time is up, taste if orzo is to your liking (al dente or softer). If not, try again in 1 minute intervals.
Serve with crumbled feta cheese (dairy or vegan) to taste. If you won’t use feta, you might have to add a little more salt.
This is the last part about of this month’s series about stoves. If you missed the other episodes, follow these links:
Induction or Gas, Part 1: Why gas cooking is considered a health hazard and how induction stoves really work
Induction or Gas, Part 2: How to make a no-sweat switch (without frying your pans)
Induction or Gas, Part 3: Reading recs! With toxic gas and adventurous appliances
And what’s coming up next Thursday? This month has five Thursdays, and when that happens, Climate Culinarians goes meta … writing a newsletter about writing! Specifically, about …. nope, you’ll have to wait and see.
Eat, read, repeat!
Petrina
Climate Culinarians is a project by me, Petrina Engelke. I write about climate and food, and I help other writers turn their ideas into a book people want to read. In other words: I’m a journalist and a book coach. Read more about this newsletter & me here.