Spinach Orzo Salad

This was one of my very firsts posts, however due to the beginning of warmer weather...or wishing for warming weather, I thought I'd re-post it. This time I have pictures too! Hope you enjoy!

The salad marks the beginning of summer for me. I got this recipe once from a Rachel Ray cookbook, and I don't know how close it is the original, since I do it mainly from memory. It's really easy and can be done in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach
1 box grape tomatoes
1 cup orzo pasta
1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Handful of basil leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to the package.

While its cooking, dump the spinach and tomatoes in a large serving bowl.  Add the lemon zest too.

Chop up the basil and put it aside to add at the end.

Once the orzo is cooked, drain it and put it back into the pot or the strainer. Drizzle in some olive oil, just enough to make it not stick, then add in the salt, pepper and garlic powder-a few shakes of each should be good. Add the juice of the lemon as well and stir to combine.

The orzo mixture is then added to the spinach mixture and tossed to combine. Top with the basil and cheese, and toss a few more times. Taste, then add more seasoning if needed.

Tips:
*Any kind of tomato can be used in this salad, just cut them into small pieces to make it easier to eat.
*I like to add grilled chicken or shrimp to this to make a complete meal.
*Once made, this will keep in the fridge for a couple days, sometimes tasting better the next day.
*Don't worry about adding the hot orzo to the cold spinach. The heat will wilt it a bit and bring out the oils of the lemon zest too, making it more tasty!

Roasted Roots

Again, Trader Joes deserves the compliments here for this easy side dish. In the vegetable section, there is a box of pre-cut mix of sweet potatoes, yams, and turnips. I decided they would make excellent roasted vegetables to go along with the chicken I was making for dinner. This is definitely not a recipe you measure. Eyeball everything and you should be fine.

Ingredients:

Any vegetables, cut into cubes for roasting
Olive Oil
Dried sage and thyme
Garlic powder
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Place the vegeatbles into a glass baking dish.
2. Drizzle olive oil over them enough to coat evenly.

3. Season the vegeatbale, using about 1 tsp each of sage and thyme and garlic powder. Toss to coat evenly.

 

4.  Roast at 425* F for about 20-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown.  Check on them while cooking and toss them so they cook evenly.

Farro Salad

My cousin Anna from Italy came to visit last summer and made a farro salad for my family. She showed me one method, but after talking to her, I realized it's somewhat like a pasta salad, where there are thousands of recipes for it, and you pretty much add what you like. So you can follow my lead and use these ingredients or add whatever you enjoy. 

Farro is a grain found in the Tuscany region of Italy and it can be found here in the states, but mostly in stores like Whole Foods. Here it is called spelt, so if you find that you can substute it in this recipe or even use a different grain like brown rice or barley. If all else fails, use a small pasta like orzo.

Ingredients:

1 cup farro

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 can pickled beets, chopped

1/2 can baby corn, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion, white, red or green

1/4 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, any kind, this time I used a variety

2 tbsp capers, chopped

1-2 tbsp Olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: diced cooked chicken breast

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water. Add the farro and cook for about 30 minutes. It will be done when it is soft like pasta but still with a little bite to it. Drain the farro when finished and put it into a bowl.

2. While the farro is cooking, chopped all of the ingredients and add it to a large bowl.

3. Add the cooked farro to the bowl and drizzle with olive oil, probably a couple tablespoons worth. Add the red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

4. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then taste. Add more salt and pepper or vinegar if needed. Keep in a air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. This amount will make enough for 5-6 servings.

Lemon Rice Soup

This is a great summer dish and a good way to use lemons if you have a tree. My friend Janice and I went to YassoYani's, a local Greek Restaurant in Stockton, and loved this traditional soup. I fell in love with the fresh flavor of the lemon and the creamy texture of the soup. It was refreshing, yet filling at the same time. So of course, I had to find a way to recreate it and make it better. So with the help of an online recipe I found to start us off and some fresh ingredients from Janis's garden this is what we created....delish!!

This recipe will make 3 bowls, so I suggest doubling it so there is more!

Ingredients:
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup cooked rice
garlic powder to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp or more fresh thyme leaves (strip the leaves off the stems)
3-4 leaves fresh basil (cut them into strips)
lemon zest
Optional: shredded chicken

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, heat up the chicken soup and milk over medium heat until it boils. Whisk the soup while its heating to prevent burning.
2. Once heated through, add the rice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme and basil, saving just a bit of the herbs to top the soup. Then add the lemon juice, a bit at a time first then stir and taste. Add more lemon juice if you want a stronger lemon taste. Let it continue to heat through and simmer for at least 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. If you chose to add chicken, stir it in before you are ready to serve the soup.
3. To finish it off, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle the lemon zest and remainder of the herbs on top. Serve warm and enjoy!