As long as I'm still in a recipe-minded mood, I'll post one for the Mushroom Orzo I made for dinner last night. Please don't tell Erik about this -- he'll probably have a fit that I manage to misuse both orzo and mushrooms in one recipe. Although if he had a tastier alternative, I'd be interested!

I based this on a mushroom orzo my husband got at an Italian restaurant long ago, served alongside steak. It took a couple tries, but this is pretty close. It only takes 15-20 minutes to make.

Mushroom Orzo

1 quart chicken stock
1/2 box of orzo
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3-4 green onions, chopped fairly small
4-6 oz. mushrooms, sliced thin (a variety is nice, but I've been known to make this with plain white mushrooms when our budget is tight)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to boil. Stir in orzo. Simmer 9 minutes or until al dente, stirring fairly often. Drain well in a sieve. Melt butter in a skillet. Saute green onion for a few minutes, then add mushrooms and saute until all is tender. Stir in orzo and heat through. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste.

--Sparki