I shared this recipe on instagram last month, but I thought it needed a forever home on my site, as well. Jovial Foods recently came out with their new grain-free cassava pasta and launched their Orzo Pasta in that line. And it’s so delicious!! There are lots of brands out there making gluten free pasta, but you rarely ever see orzo which means it’s a pasta I often forget about. But orzo pasta is THE BEST!! Especially when it’s served cold with a crap ton of veggies and fresh herbs. That way you can eat it all throughout the week without having to worry about reheating it back up. Now that’s my kind of leftovers!
Today I thought about sharing a soup recipe, but I know it’s probably still at least 106 degrees in Texas, so I decided to wait. I also almost share a pumpkin cake recipe, but my photos sucked ass so that will have to wait for next week. My SIL is currently working from our house every other week since her own apartment doesn’t have an office. And she’s been working in my office, which is where I take my food photos. When I was taking the pumpkin cake recipe photos the other day, she was on a zoom call so I was crawling on the floor to take the photos, pushing myself under computer wires while lying on the floor to shoot the pumpkin cake that was also on the floor, as well. Safe to say, the photos didn’t work. The angles were weird, the color was weird, and the cake really didn’t get the appreciation it deserved. So it’s time to make that cake again, which I’m not SUPER bummed about because it’s so insanely delicious. Cake is the best.
On a completely unrelated note, per usual, I cannot stop watching the show Pen15. If you’re around my age, meaning cell phones weren’t a thing when you were in middle school and you had to make fun of kids the old fashioned way – by spreading rumors via notes that were folded into tiny triangles and saved forever in a box in your closet – well this show is for you. It’s all about the middle school experience and how insanely stupid, upsetting, frustrating, disheartening, and life changing those moments are. From taking a mirror downstairs to see WTF is going on down there, to having someone touch your non-existent boob for the first time, to saying the same word over and over and over again because you and your best friend think it’s hilarious for no apparent reason. I’ve somehow forgotten most of my life, but my middle school years stay on the forefront of my brain. Damn this brain. If you haven’t watched it and you’re around my age, you need to. It’s simply the best! Now excuse me while I go make a pumpkin cake again while I watch Pen15. It’s going to be a good day, I can feel it.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 package grain-free orzo
- 1 english cucumber, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup pitted & halved kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup capers
- 13 ounces chickpeas, drained & rinsed (leave out for paleo)
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (use dairy-free soft cheese for paleo)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place all cherry tomatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cut side up. Whisk together olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt. Use a basting brush to brush each cherry tomatoes with liquid. Place in the oven to bake for 2 hours.
- When the tomatoes have 30 minutes left to cook, bring a large pot of water with a pinch of salt to boil. Once boiling, add the grain-free orzo pasta. Cook for 13-15 minutes, mixing every couple minutes to keep from sticking. Once done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Dice up cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion. Add to a bowl along with kalamata olive, capers, chickpeas, feta, dill, and mint. Then add the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to mix.
- Once the tomatoes are done cooking, let cool for a couple minutes. Once cool to touch, add to the bowl along with salt and pepper. Mix to combined then taste to see if you need an extra salt and pepper. Serve cold and enjoy thoroughly!
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Made this! It was easy and delicious!!
awesome!! glad to hear it!!