Orzo Broccoli Pasta Salad

So my friend Becca is 38 weeks pregnant and her shower is today. I have been asked to bring a variety of things and take care of little tasks throughout the day. I have chosen to make a super yummy Orzo Broccoli Pasta Salad because I like it and I wanted to share this super easy recipe so you can wow all your friends at BBQ's this summer.

I first saw this pasta salad at Albertson's, and figured I could make it myself better and cheaper. This is my attempt. Spoiler Alert, I was right.

You will need.

1 lb Orzo Pasta
1 head Broccoli
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Oregano
Marinated Artichoke Hearts, chopped (optional)
Greek Dressing (you can use my recipe, or buy some pre-made to save time. I used Girards Greek Feta Vinagerette cuz I was in a hurry and it's really yummy. Either will work.)


Start off with the box of Orzo. You can find it in the pasta aisle and if you don't know what Orzo is, it's tiny rice shaped pasta (you can find it commonly in rice pilaf!) A one pound box of Orzo pasta should run you roughly under $2.

Boil it according the package directions and then let it drain in a collinder in the sink. It should look something like this. (I used 2lbs, so mine is a little more full.)


Rinse it with cold water, and let the pasta cool while you fix up everything else.

Next you are going to want to take a head of broccoli and chop it into little tiny bits. I use the stems as a guide and just try to trim them as small as possible.


Once you chop all the broccoli, (sing this song as you do it!), you are going to want to blanch it crudite style! It's easy, I'll take you through it.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While it's waiting to boil, set up another bowl and fill it with ice water.


Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and let them cook about 2 minutes.


Next you are going to want to fish the veggies out with a slotted spoon, and transfer them into the bowl of ice. This halts the cooking process and keeps the veggies bright green and crisp, while taking away that "raw" taste.


Drain! That's it. Easy huh?

Next we are going to want to transfer the cooled pasta into a serving bowl, add the broccoli, crumbled feta, artichoke hearts, oregano, and greek dressing. Toss and Voila! Easy pasta salad that's yummy and impresses everyone. Enjoy!


This pasta salad can be made days in advance. In fact it will last in a sealed container for up to a week in the fridge.

Greek Salad

Not many salads really turn my head. Especially not Greek salads, but I decided to cook dinner tonight and really do it up Greek Style, and what goes better with Greek food, then Greek Salad?

The recipe is super easy, yummy, and decently healthy. This is what you need;



Lettuce, chopped. I used Hearts of Romaine and a head of Iceberg, but you can use whatever types of lettuce you like best. Make sure that you use a lettuce knife when doing a chop salad, or rip it with your hands so it doesn't brown.



Tomatoes, sliced/diced/whole depending on the type you use. I used grape tomatoes cuz they are sweet and delicious and I halved them down the center. Cherry tomatoes will also work and are small enough, like grapes to slice in half or use whole. If you're going to use a larger tomato, I suggest dicing them into bite sizes.

Cucumbers, peeled, and cut into bite size pieces. If you prefer you can half it lengthwise and remove the seeds, or use an English cucumber. I don't mind the seeds, so I just left those puppies in.



Olives, of the Greek or Mediterranean variety. They usually can be found in the deli section of the grocery, or even in the olive section. I chose a green and kalamata mix.

Throw it all into a bowl in that order and it should look something like this...




Next you need to make a dressing, this is where it really sets itself apart from other crappy salads. It's a slightly modified version of a recipe I saw on For The Love of Cooking.





* 6 tablespoons olive oil
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 2 garlic cloves, pressed
* 3 tsp red wine vinegar
* Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Whisk it all together until it's creamy and then pour over the salad, top with some feta cheese, and toss. Voila!



I made this for my very picky father who actually finished his whole plate and asked if there were seconds. Then he proceeded to tell me that he needs this recipe. So I think it's a homerun!