Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad Food

GRILLED VEGETABLE ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions. Place vegetables in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients. Add to vegetables and toss to coat., Remove vegetables, reserving dressing. Grill mushroom, pepper and onion, covered, over medium heat 5-10 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Grill asparagus and zucchini, covered, 3-4 minutes or until desired doneness, turning occasionally., When cool enough to handle, cut vegetables into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, combine cooked orzo, grilled vegetables, tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt, pepper and reserved dressing; toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until cold. Just before serving, stir in cheese.

GRILLED VEGETABLE ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo in salted water according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water, transfer to a large bowl and combine with tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the oil and garlic.
• Meanwhile spray the onions, bell peppers and zucchini with olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste.
• Grill vegetables on a grill basket over oiled grates, covered, (or broil 4 inches from flame) 10-12 minutes or until lightly charred and tender, turning halfway.
• Set aside on a cutting board to cool slightly, then dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Toss with the remaining olive oil and vinegar and top with chopped basil.

ORZO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
• Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
• For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

ORZO PASTA SALAD WITH GRILLED CONFETTI VEGETABLES AND FETA

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta and cook according to package directions, about 6-8 minutes, until al dente (firm to the bite). Drain and rinse under cold water. Let orzo sit in colander to drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with about 2 tsp (5 ml) olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
• Preheat a barbeque or grill to medium-high heat. Brush zucchini strips and yellow pepper with a little olive oil. Place these, along with corn, on barbeque and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until grill marks appear and vegetables are tender. Remove and set aside on a baking tray to cool. Once cool, cut the kernels off of the corn husks (there should be about 2 cups) and chop the zucchini and yellow peppers into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
• To the orzo pasta, add the zucchini, yellow pepper, corn, cherry tomatoes, feta and pine nuts. Drizzle over lemon vinaigrette and toss gently to combine. Garnish with torn basil leaves.
• In a hurry? Chop zucchini and yellow pepper into ½-inch dice. Place in large bowl along with cherry tomatoes and 1 cup corn (canned). Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature and then toss with orzo salad as above.

TOASTED COUSCOUS OR ORZO SALAD WITH GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLES

Steps:

• To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, garlic and mustard with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the olive oil slowly while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
• To marinate the vegetables, combine the vegetables in a shallow dish and pour half the vinaigrette over the veggies and toss. Let them marinate 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Next, either grill or roast the vegetables. If you want to grill on a charcoal or gas grill, place the veggies on the grill or preferably on a grill screen and cook until cooked through and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. They should be tender but not soft. Remove the vegetables as they are cooked - they will cook at different rates. To roast the vegetables, spread all the vegetables except the tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F oven for 40 minutes. Add the tomatoes in the last 15 minutes of roasting time.
• Let the vegetables cool.
• Cut the vegetables into smaller pieces. Cut zucchini and squash into 1/2 inch pieces. Quarter the tomatoes (if the skin peels off, discard it) and cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Cut peppers and onions into 1-inch pieces.
• While the veggies are cooling, put the broth in saucepan and bring just to a low boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to keep broth warm.
• In a saute pan or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and stir often until toasted to golden brown.
• Add enough stock to cover the couscous by one inch.
• Bring to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes until al dente.
• Drain couscous and let cool to room temperature.
• Add the vegetables, basil, thyme, and parsley to the cooled couscous. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the mixture and toss. Add more salt and pepper to taste.