Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Spinach-Orzo Ensalata

Oh this is so tasty! I think I could eat it every day for every meal and never grow tired of it.
1 C uncooked whole-wheat orzo pasta (boil it approx 6-7 minutes and rinse well to keep grains separate, then cool)
10+ C spinach (about 2 10-oz. bags, chopped)
1 pkg. fresh basil, cut into ribbons
2 tomatoes, diced small
1 can black olives sliced
2 oz. capers (half a 4-oz. jar), drained
1/2 C raw pine nuts
optional: shaved Parmesan to taste

Tangy Dill Dressing
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1/4 C fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. dried (or 1/4 C fresh) dill weed

Toss all salad ingredients except optional Parmesan. Blend dressing ingredients. Add dressing to taste and toss. Top each plate with saved Parmesan if desired.

So, that's the original recipe. Because I'm cheap and lazy and there's only one of me, I do things a little differently. I half the recipe, substitute pumpkin seeds for pine nuts (since they cost an arm and a leg right now), I add more tomatoes than it originally calls for, and I use frozen orange juice from concentrate in my dressing and it all turns out just fine. Oh yeah, and when Mom and I made the dill dressing from the fresh dill weed she has in her garden it turned the most beautiful green color! I eat the Tangy Dill Dressing on everything. It is delicious!

1 comment:

MT Missy said...

Recently I've been using sunflower seeds for a substitute for pine nuts. They're a nice addition and easier to find than pumpkin seeds.