WHOLE WHEAT ORZO AND GRILLED VEGETABLE SALAD WITH FETA, OLIVES, AND HERBS

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat orzo, cooked according to package directions (or less if you want even lower carbs)
• 2 small zucchini
• 1 large red bell pepper
• olive oil, for brushing vegetables
• Italian seasoning or other dried herb seasoning (I used Penzey’s Pasta Sprinkle)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 T chopped fresh basil
• 2 T chopped fresh oregano
• (or use 4 T chopped fresh herbs of your choice such as parsley, mint, thyme, or chives)
• 1 can  black olives, drained and cut in half  (6 oz. drained)
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Instructions:

• Preheat grill to high.  Cook orzo according to package directions, being careful not to overcook.  Drain and let cool while you prep other ingredients.
• Cut the zucchini and red bell pepper lengthwise into fourths and remove seeds and stem from pepper.  Brush the vegetables on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with dried herb mix.  Turn the grill down to medium-high, then grill vegetables until they are cooked, but still slightly crisp, about 10-15 minutes.  I turned them several times so I had grill marks on all the sides.  Remove vegetables and let them cool.
• Thinly slice green onions and chop fresh herbs.  Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, and dried oregano to make the dressing.
• When vegetables are cool enough to handle easily, pull the skins off red peppers.  (They should come off fairly easily, but no worries if some of the skin stays on.  You can put the peppers in a bowl and cover it with cling-wrap to “steam” them if you want to be sure you get all the skin off, but I didn’t have any trouble removing it without doing that.)  Cut the zucchini and pepper into bite-sized pieces and put into a plastic bowl large enough to hold all the salad ingredients.  Add about 1/3 of dressing and stir so all the vegetable pieces are coated with dressing.
• Let the vegetables marinate while you drain olives, cut them into half, and crumble the feta.  Add the cooked orzo, green onions, and herbs to the vegetables and add enough dressing to moisten all ingredients.  (You may not need all the dressing.)  Gently stir in the olives and crumbled feta.
• Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.  This salad will stay good in the fridge for several days, but only if you’re able to stop eating it!

FULL RECIPES

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