Springtime Eats: Orzo Salad

As spring comes into town, I crave a nice and light pasta salad. My orzo salad is perfect with your favorite burger or sandwich. You can adjust the measurements easily to feed a bigger crowd. This suits my small fam of three just fine.

I like to top mine with a little feta, but it works just as well cheeseless.

This tastes great at room temp or chilled. Enjoy!

Orzo Salad
Makes 6 side dish servings

1 cup orzo
1 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 cup red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp. fresh basil minced
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve: Crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cool water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine chickpeas, bell pepper, grape tomatoes.

In a liquid measuring cup, add red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously to emulsify.

Add cooled orzo to bowl with veggies. Add the dressing to the bowl. Toss lightly with a spoon. Add basil and parsley. Toss again. Adjust seasonings if desired.

Serve with a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese if you like.

The Perfect Side: Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions

My Fabulous Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions are the perfect partner to any roast or meat you may be feasting on. I often cook these while the meat is resting. You may also do it ahead of time and then reheat them before serving.

The potatoes, red onions, garlic and rosemary are a perfect combo. And they smell heavenly while cooking. My son always requests these. They are nice as the weather warms up as they are not as heavy as the beloved mashed potato.

The last time I made these, I also whipped up a vat of chicken cacciatore. So delish, and it freezes well. My recipe is here.

Fabulous Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions
(Serves 6)

5-6 medium russet or white potatoes, peeled and quartered into 1 ½-inch pieces
6-8 garlic cloves, skins removed
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 ½ tsp. dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Note: You may peel and quarter the potatoes ahead of time. Place in a large bowl of cold water to prevent potatoes from discoloring. Dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel before cooking.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place butter and olive oil in a large rectangular baking dish. Place dish in oven for about 5-6 minutes so that butter melts. The butter-oil mixture should start to bubble.

Remove dish from oven.

Carefully place potatoes, onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in pan. Toss so that mixture is evenly coated in butter, oil and seasonings. Be careful, since the dish is hot!

Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove every 15 minutes or so, to toss mixture.

Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Basil Dressing

Get your hands on some zucchini, basil and lemon and you got yourself an amazing side.

My Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Basil Dressing goes perfectly with steak, chicken or fish. You can serve it hot or at room temp.

The leftovers make a fab sandwich with provolone or mozzarella. I also like this with hummus and tomato on Italian bread. So yummy!

Zucchini is out in full force right now, so I hope you can make this while we are rockin' the season.

Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Basil Dressing
Makes 6 side dish servings

3 zucchini, both ends trimmed, cut in half to make two 4-inch long logs and then cut into 1/4-inch wide strips. Strips should measure about 1 1/2 inches wide by 4 inches long. Each log should yield 4 to 5 strips.
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chiffonade
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

On baking sheet, line up prepared zucchini. Brush zucchini with 2 Tbsp. olive oil using a pastry brush on both sides. Season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.

On a grill pan over medium high heat, grill zucchini slices about 4 minutes on each side or until lightly charred in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove cooked zucchini to a serving dish while grilling the remaining zucchini slices. Cover with aluminum or a lid to keep warm.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste until mixture emulsifies. Pour lemon dressing over cooked zucchini. Top with basil chiffonade. Serve warm or at room temperature.

No Respect

Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap.

But saute a bit of shallot and pancetta and you've gotta be out of your freakin' mind if you don't inhale these suckers.

At least this is my humble opinion.

The Husband: "That's a complete waste of pancetta."

He made this statement BEFORE eating the Brussels sprouts that I lovingly Catholic-guilted him into eating.

He DID go for seconds on his own accord. Honest to goodness. Yay, Husband!

I also informed my Moms that I will be schlepping over my fantabulous Brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving, which believe it or not, has totally turned into my most fave holiday in my old age.

It used to just be a day during which I nursed a massive hangover and tried to block out the hours upon hours of football being forced upon me.

But now, I unabashedly look forward to all that family time of eating and drinking and reminiscing with some laughing and crying thrown in for good measure. Wayyyyyyyyyy less hectic than Christmas, fo sho.

I use Italian bacon aka pancetta, which I always keep on hand in the freezer. But the recipe works with regular old Americana bacon, too. Obvi.

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

3 slices pancetta, chopped

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
• Salt and pepper, to your taste
• 1 cup chicken broth

Brown pancetta in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove pancetta to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked pancetta bits.