Whole Wheat Orzo Salad Food

MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat, and cook orzo until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.
• In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice with reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper.
• Then add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garbanzo beans, mint and parsley. Refrigerate for 1 hour for flavors to meld.
• Stir in baby spinach before serving.

WHOLE WHEAT ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain orzo; rinse with cold water., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stir in orzo. Refrigerate until serving.

SUMMER ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to high heat.
• Toss the scallions in a bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the scallions until the bulbs are tender and the greens are well-charred, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. (Alternately, you can char the scallions in a cast-iron pan on the stove.) Chop the white and light green parts finely, then discard the remaining ends of the scallions.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the orzo. Drop in the orzo and begin to cook. Meanwhile, add the chopped scallions to a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, Dijon mustard, remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and half of the olives and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse to cool. Immediately toss in some of the vinaigrette, along with the cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, red onion and remaining olives. Mix well. Add more dressing to taste. Top with the goat cheese and serve.

WHOLE-WHEAT ORZO SALAD WITH BROCCOLI-PINE NUT PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt, add orzo, and cook according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well again.
• Meanwhile, cook the broccoli. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a large pot. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for 1 minute until bright green but still slightly crunchy. Drain the broccoli in a strainer and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.
• Make the pesto: Combine 2 cups of the cooked broccoli, garlic, three-quarters of the pine nuts, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in olive oil and creme fraiche and pulse until smooth.
• Toss orzo and remaining cooked broccoli florets with about two-thirds of the broccoli pesto and the lemon zest. Thin with a bit of warm water to desired consistency. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt, lemon juice, or pesto as desired. Fold in avocado. Serve topped with remaining pine nuts.