Coconut Cilantro Lime Orzo

Nothing says Spring in North Carolina like sunny one moment and raining like crazy the next. It’s got a girl going a little stir crazy. On the bright side, the grass is growing strong and the flowers will be blooming by the weekend! Anddddd it leads to some fun work in the kitchen to fill my time. My latest experiment: Coconut Cilantro Lime Orzo.

Full confession, coconut and I aren’t really that good of friends. It’s very hit or miss for me. However, I bought a can of coconut milk on a whim in a random moment of inspiration at the store. And I’m so glad I did! This Coconut Cilantro Lime Orzo brings refreshing and light goodness to the table that will even make the non-coconut lover want seconds. I only used a cup of coconut milk in this recipe and it was the perfect amount for me. It gave the dish a hint of tropical flavor without overpowering the palate. So if you live for coconut, feel free to add more!

Limes. The more limes the better. I love the zing that limes (and any citrus) bring to a dish. Honestly, if I have 10 limes, I probably would have used them all in this. Sadly (and probably for the best), I did not. Regardless of how many limes you have, the most important part is to zest! Seriously, zest your hearts out, you won’t regret it! It adds so much flavor and helps enhance the rest of the ingredients in any dish. For this large pan of Coconut Cilantro Lime Orzo,  the tang from the citrus mixed with the smooth and creaminess from the coconut milk it a match made it heaven. The only thing missing was a beach and maybe a pineapple drink.

Now just having coconut lime pasta would be delish, I needed a little extra something something to make sure this would fill me up for a while. Enter kidney beans. A staple in my pantry, kidney beans are making an appearance in more and more of my meals in my recent efforts to eat less meat.  They help bring a little extra island flavor to every bite. Most beans are full of nutrients and kidney beans are no difference. Full of Protein, Fiber, B-6, Iron and Calcium, you’ll be feeling good for hours to come.

And if a yummy, filling pasta dish wasn’t enough, it’s also comes together fast. It took around 20 minutes from start to finish. Even as someone who loves to cook, sometimes I want to be in and out of the kitchen and come out with a winner. Coconut Cilantro Lime Orzo fits that bill.

So….got 20 minutes? Get started now! I hope you enjoy

Coconut Cilantro Lime Orzo

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Ingredients

• 1/4 White Onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup Orzo
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Garlic, minced
• 1 15oz can of Kidney Beans
• 1 cup Coconut Milk
• 3 tbsp Green Onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup Cilantro
• Juice and zest of 2 limes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil and cook orzo for 8-10 minutes. You want it to be al dente since it'll keep cooking when it's added to the rest of the dish.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute white onion and garlic until they are translucent. Add in the green onion and heat for another minute.
3. Drain and rise the kidney beans.
4. Add coconut milk to the skillet and stir.
5. Combine the beans, orzo, lime zest and cilantro to the skillet with coconut milk mixture. Stir together and let simmer for 5 minutes. Right before you take the dish off the heat, stir in the lime juice and taste to see if you need salt and pepper. I added a pinch of salt for my preference.
6. Garnish with cilantro and green onions. Serve warm or cold.
7. Enjoy!

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