Meatballs with Orzo & Zucchini

This is a quick, simple recipes for those days you need to throw together something for dinner.  The key is having frozen cooked meatballs.  You can use the store bought kind or you can use your own.  Meatballs are perfect to use in many recipes, including soups, stews, and skillet dishes. 

When you have more time, just prepare a big batch of meatballs.  Cook them and freeze them in Ziploc bags.  I would put about 1/2 pound of meatballs per bag. Then you're ready to pull them out of the freezer and use them in a quick recipe like this.

The recipe calls for orzo, tomatoes, and zucchini, but you can adapt the recipe to suit your taste.  I didn't have zucchini on hand the day I prepared it, but the dish was fine without it.  You might also want to add some seasonings if you like a little more flavor.

MEATBALLS WITH ZUCCHINI AND ORZO
Ingredients:
16 frozen cooked meatballs
14 ounces low sodium beef broth
1 can low sodium diced Italian tomatoes  (I just had a can of regular tomatoes, so I added Italian seasonings to the tomatoes)
1 medium zucchini, julienned

Preparation:
Place frozen meatballs and broth in skillet and boil.  Stir in pasta and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer 12 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and zucchini.  Cook about 5 minutes, until zucchini is tender.

Lemon Mushroom Soup with Orzo

I believe that I have mentioned before that my favorite local restaurant is Popolano's.  Take a look at their website: http://popolanosrestaurant.com/ and drop by for a visit if you're nearby.  They have delicious American food with daily specials always worth a try.

While I was dining at Popolano's recently, one of the daily specials was Lemon Mushroom Orzo Soup.  I was intrigued because it sounded both good and gross at the same time.  I was feeling slightly adventuresome that day so I ordered the soup.  I have to say that it was one of the best soups that I've ever eaten.

Needless to say, I had to attempt my own low sodium version at home.  It's slightly different, of course, but delicious nonetheless.

My motto for food: Try it because it just might be the best thing you've ever eaten.  I keep telling my niece and nephews that when they refuse to try new dishes.  They begrudgingly try the food and insist they don't like it.  My favorite part is later, when I discover that they've eaten all the yucky food they didn't like.

LEMON MUSHROOM SOUP WITH ORZO

Ingredients:
2 cans (8 oz) low sodium sliced mushrooms (You can use fresh too, I'm lazy)
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup uncooked orzo

Preparation:
In large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat a simmer 20 minutes.