The Houndstooth Gourmet

Cookthink is a great recipe website and blog where you can retrieve recipes based upon what you have on hand, what meal you are making, and even what mood you’re in. They began the Root Source Challenge several weeks ago. Each challenge is based on a specific ingredient, which you use or feature in a recipe. This week’s Root Source Challenge is orzo.

Orzo is a small pasta which means “barley” in Italian. It is often used in soups and can be used for making a risotto.

For this challenge, I wanted to incorporate orzo into a recipe in an unusual manner. What first came to mind was timpano-you know, like from the movie Big Night. Timpano uses rigatoni or ziti along with many other ingredients to create layers within baked dough.

It seemed a bit daunting.

So, I thought “hey, what about stromboli?” Instead of traditional Italian stuffing, I could use ingredients more reminiscent of Greece and the Mediteranean region in general. Hence, “Mediterranean Stromboli”. Layers of seasoned ground beef with onions, orzo with spinach, Manchego cheese, roasted red bell peppers and kalamata olives are combined to put a twist on the traditional pizza shop turnover. However, I served it with the traditional marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

The result was delicious and well worth the effort, especially since the recipe makes 2- 12 inch stromboli. The orzo added an unexpected creaminess to the stromboli.  Mediterranean Stromboli would make a great snack or appetizer and would work well in a buffet. Most of all, I wish I had thought of this for the Superbowl.

Mediterranean Stromboli

makes 16-18 servings

Ingredients

for the dough

• 1 1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F.)
• 1 Tablespoon yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3-31/2 cups All Purpose flour

for the filling

• 1 lb. ground beef (80/20 mix)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup orzo, cooked according to package directions
• 1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 oz. Manchego cheese, roughly shredded
• 4 roasted red bell peppers, skins peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch strips ( I used jarred fire roasted peppers)
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (1 egg for orzo and spinach mixture, and 1 egg for brushing the dough before baking)
• 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping on the side (optional)

Directions

Add 1/4 cup warm water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir, then allow to sit for 5 minutes until it gets foamy. Add the remaining water, olive oil and salt. Using a dough hook, turn mixer on low to medium low speed. Gradually add in 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the flour and mix until smooth. Add an additional cup of flour and continue to mix dough until it begins to pull away from the sides.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough for 10 minutes, using additional flour as needed to stop sticking.

Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for approximately one hour in a warm place. The dough should double in size.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

While the dough is rising, cook orzo according to package directions and combine it with the spinach. Once the mixture is cooled, add one egg and stir to incorporate.

For the meat and onions, place a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes until transluscent. Do not brown. Add meat and begin to brown. Chop the meat with a flat wooden spatula to get it to separate into small pieces. Add garlic powder, oregano, marjoram and cinnamon. Once browned, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Punch down the dough and transfer it onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Roll each half into a 10 inch x 12 inch rectangle. Layer half of fillings evenly over dough; meat and onion mixture, orzo and spinach mixture, manchego cheese, peppers and olives. Leave about 1 inch of the dough’s edge uncovered.

Carefully begin to roll the dough and stuffing. Towards the end of rolling, tuck in the edges and fold them under the bottom seam. Repeat with other half of dough. Transfer stromboli to a greased or silicone lined baking sheet. Cut slits on top of dough approximately 2-3 inches apart, depending on how big you wish to make each serving.

Brush egg wash over dough, avoiding the slits. Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Turn the baking sheet half way through cooking for even heating.

Allow stromboli to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.

Optional-serve stromboli with a side of your favorite marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping.

*Cookthink holds a weekly Root Source Challenge where winning recipes get published on their site and a prize is awarded to the winner.

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Tags: cheese, Recipe, pasta, beef //