Recipe of the Week!

The recipe of the week is my favorite dish I made in the past 7 days...this week there was a clear cut hands down winner...Roasted Rainbow Orzo. Easy to make, great ingredients, a good way to get in lots of vegetables and, most importantly, a big hit with Mr. Allan. Here are some pictures and the recipe and it's source is listed below

One thing I loved about this recipe..it had tons of vegetables. If I'm making a pasta or grain dish, I always try to bulk it up with tons of veggies that will make a portion go a long way. I started with red and yellow peppers..

added in some eggplant and red onion. I think red onions are the devil. I normally despise them...but for some reason, when they're roasted or sauteed...I do okay with them. that also kind of goes for alot of other veggies that I'm not wild about...so I tend to roast alot of vegetables (especially in the winter time)..the taste is just so much better.

 The main player in this dish...the orzo. I remember eating orzo in the good old Venus De Milo soup my mom and grandma made for us growing up. I can't say I've really made it too often outside that soup. I was happy to find that Whole Foods had a Whole Wheat Orzo

Just remember, if you're looking for a true whole wheat pasta or grain product..check your ingredients..you'll be surprised that many products say whole wheat and then have a host of ingredients...Just a note on this...I'd edit the whole post but, but instead will just point out my error.. this box of orzo is not whole wheat. As a reader pointed out, it's 100% duurm wheat but not whole wheat. As you can see by the comments below, I had 3 boxes of orzo in my pantry...2 were whole wheat and this one is not. Just to prove that reading your ingredient list can be tricky! 

While the 1/2 lb of whole wheat orzo cooked and the vegetables roasted in the oven, I halved some grape tomatoes, cut some basil into thin strips and cut up 4 oz of mozzarella. The recipe called for a smoked mozzarella, which I couldn't find, so I bought a local one from Narragansett Creamery and it turned out perfect!

My veggies after being roasted for 35 minutes

I tossed the orzo and veggies with a lemon, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette...

 I added in the cheese, tomatoes, and basil...

The final product...I guess it does resemble a Rainbow Orzo Salad

What I liked about this dish...I served it on the side of baked Tilapia (yeah for me following through on a New Year's Resolution to eat more fish!). I liked it because normally I'd prepare some type of starch and vegetable, but this dish had both and saved me an extra side dish. It was delicious hot and I think it'd be fantastic cold. I could have even done away with the cheese to say a couple extra calories. It worked perfectly with the fish and would've been fantastic on the side of chicken or beef as well.

So..where did I get it...off of this great site...

http://www.danispies.com/

Roasted Rainbow Orzo Salad

from http://www.danispies.com/

1 medium eggplant, cut into a 1-inch dice

1 large yellow pepper, chopped
1 large orange pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ lb of whole-wheat orzo
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 scallions, chopped
4 oz smoked mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup of thinly sliced basil leaves

Toss eggplant, peppers, and onion in a large bowl with 2 tbsp of olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread out amongst two rimmed baking sheets and pop into a 425 degree oven for 30-40 minutes stirring once half way through.


While the veggies are roasting, cook the orzo according to the package directions.

In the meantime combine lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk everything together and season with salt and pepper.

Once the veggies and orzo have cooked toss them together in a large bowl and pour vinegar mixture over the top. Combine well.

Finish the salad with scallions, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Adjust seasonings and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!