NaBloPoMo Day 21: Orzo Salad

You know summer's coming when friends start dusting off their BBQs and inviting people over.  It's kind of a mystery as to what will be lurking under the BBQ cover when winter finally disappears and the days start to get longer. We haven't had our first barbie yet, but I think Tony is planning to attack the BBQ tomorrow and see what awaits him!!

We went to a friend's place last night and as in the Kiwi tradition, we were asked to take a salad or a dessert. I almost went the lazy way and piled up a plate of strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce, but thought probably half the others going will have the same idea, I'm sure!! Delicious but there is only so many strawberries a gal can eat.  So I decided to go with an old faithful dish that always gets rave reviews and I always get a heap of requests for the recipe.  Orzo Salad is a bit like the frittata, where anything goes and it changes every time I make it. 

Orzo Salad

1 cup of dried orzo pasta

½ cup finely diced salami, finely diced

1 red capsicum (or yellow), finely diced

1 avocado, sliced or diced

big handful of cherry tomatoes. halved

spring onions, chopped finely

100g feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup toasted almonds 

handful of coriander or parsley, chopped finely

I also use vegetables such as asparagus, cucumber, zucchini, peas, grated carrot, red onion, broccoli etc. Just depends what is in season or in the garden. I don't always add the salami. I also might add pumpkin seeds, pinenuts or sunflower seeds instead of the almonds

Cook pasta until al dente. Mix some olive oil through it to stop it sticking together and when cool, add the remainder of the ingredients.

Dressing

1 garlic clove, crushed

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsps lemon juice

1 tsp sugar
splash of sesame oil

Shake well and stir through salad.