Sun Dried Tomato Black Olive And Mozzarella Orzo Gratin Food

ORZO WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• Mix orzo pasta, tomatoes, and olives together in a large bowl. Pour pesto over pasta mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the pasta mixture; stir. Drizzle olive oil over the salad and stir to achieve your preferred moisture level.

TOMATO AND BLACK OLIVE ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the tomatoes on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are tender and just bursting slightly but not falling apart, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (following package instructions). While the pasta is cooking, make a vinaigrette by pouring the juice from the bottom of the pan the tomatoes cooked in into a mixing bowl. Add the feta, vinegar, mustard, garlic, sliced basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly pour in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil while whisking to lightly emulsify. Drain the cooked pasta and toss with the vinaigrette. Add the grape tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, roasted red pepper, pepperoncini peppers, onion and chopped basil and toss to combine.
• This is a great salad to serve with Mediterranean Sardines with Lemon and Garlic.
• For the spicy tartar: Combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, pickles, red pepper, onion, capers, lemon juice, tarragon, chives, hot sauce and cayenne in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to allow flavors to come together.
• For the sardines: Preheat a grill to high. Rinse the sardines in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the cavity of each sardine with salt and pepper, then place a sprig of thyme and oregano inside each along with a few slices of lemon and garlic. Season outside with salt and pepper. Carefully tie the sardines with butchers twine to help keep them closed during grilling. Wipe down the grill grates with a towel dipped in oil to clean and create a non-stick surface. Carefully place sardines across grates and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until skin blisters and chars around the edges. Using a spatula, carefully turn the sardines and grill for a further 2 to 3 minutes to cook through. When done, remove to a platter and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve the sardines slathered with the Spicy Tartar.

SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO CIGARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on a clean dry work surface. Use a pastry brush to brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Fold the phyllo sheet in half lengthwise, resulting in a 12 by 8-inch rectangle. Brush the top of the phyllo with melted butter. Place a few slices of smoked mozzarella at a narrow end of the phyllo rectangle, leaving 1-inch on each side. Top the cheese with a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes. Carefully roll up the phyllo dough into a cigar shape starting with the cheese and tomato end. About half way through the rolling, tuck in the 1-inch ends of the phyllo dough, and continue rolling. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, seam side down, and brush the top with butter. Continue rolling the 5 remaining cigars. Bake until golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small ball jar or in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid combine the extra-virgin olive oil, Proseco, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Shake well. Toss the Proseco vinaigrette with the field greens. Place the dressed greens on a serving platter or on individual serving plates.
• Slice the cigars into 2-inch pieces. Place atop the dressed field greens. Serve immediately.
• The baked cigars are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The flavor is great. YUM!!

BAKED TOMATO & MOZZARELLA ORZO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the orzo into a medium casserole dish, then stir in the oil, red peppers, olives, chilli flakes and dried oregano. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, then refill the can halfway with water and pour that in too. Give everything a good mix, season, then cover and bake for 20 mins until the pasta is almost cooked. Take it out of the oven and give the orzo a stir. Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.
• Heat the grill to high. Take the orzo out of the oven and tear the mozzarella over the top, then grill until melted and bubbling. Serve with salad on the side, if you like.

ORZO SALAD WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 8 minutes.
• Drain.
• Place garlic, salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar into a food processor.
• Process well.
• Add oil, process briefly until well blended.
• Pour over orzo while pasta is still warm.
• Add tomatoes to pasta along with olives and chopped parsley.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Toss again and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use (can be made earlier in the day).
• Best served at room temperature.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO BASIL ORZO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
• Place basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor. Pulse 4 or 5 times until blended.
• In a large bowl, toss together the orzo, basil-tomato mixture, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.