Thursday, February 22, 2007

Toss it in !

Dear Foodies,


A looooonnngggg time ago I read about rice-grain shaped pasta and like a sincere foodie I put down in my shopping list and got a small pouch of it home. Well, and there the story ended too...atleast until now. The pack of pasta moved from table to closet and from one shelf to another but never saw the light of the stove !! It has been a near 3 months now. Some time last week I was at home in the evening and was in no mood of cooking something. A salad seemed like a good idea. I had seen a show on Food TV where orzo was used in a salad. Now one of the reasons for the orzo to lie in my kitchen was I had no clue what I could make of such a beauty ! But now I had a plan :-)

The salad had a lil of everything. Some juicy carrots, nutty almonds and sesame seeds, tangy lime and some crunch from onions. There was also some grated ginger and fresh coriander that took the whole salad to a new level.


Ingredients:
  • 1 cup - Orzo, rice-grain shaped pasta
  • 1 nos - Carrot, grated
  • 1/2 nos - Red onion, finely chopped
  • a small piece of Ginger, grated (~1/2 inch)
  • 1 Tbsp - Sesame seeds
  • a few almonds, slivered
  • Salt and Pepper for seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp - Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Tbsp - Lemon juice
  • fresh Coriander leaves for garnish
Procedure:
  1. Cook the orzo as per the instructions on the pack. Add a few drops of olive oil to have separate gains and also a pinch of salt.
  2. In a microwavable plate toast the sesame seeds in the microwave for 30-40 seconds until they start crackling. Do the same with the almonds too, they'll turn crunchy. Both these add a nice crunch and nuttiness to the salad.
  3. In a bowl add the olive oil, grated carrots, ginger, cooked pasta and all the other ingredients.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, a dash of lemon juice, garnish with some fresh coriander leaves and nuts.
  5. Toss them all together and you have a refreshingly light yet filling salad all ready to eat in less than 20 mins.
I had this for dinner and a bowl of it was more than I could have, I was full and my taste buds totally satisfied. I just loved the medley of flavors bursting with each bite. The orzo was perfectly cooked and was really nice to vite into. The crunch from the sesame seeds and almonds was fun to bite into and made the salad interesting. I also added a tiny pieces of jalapeno for some extra heat. You can add fresh tomatoes and other herbs to dress it up a little more. Do give this a try, I am sure you'll love it.

11 thoughts:

Anonymous said...

Guess what? I bought orzo a month ago after seeing a recipe for a soup. At least your pack took a trip through the kitchen. Mine has been lying in the exact same spot in the pantry. It is about time I pick up the carton, lest it starts cursing me.

Salad looks so simple and elegent. Thanks for the recipe.

Mythreyee said...

Let me try this one soon. thanks for sharing.

Priya said...


@ Hema: I also made some soup yesterday with these, will post that too. And try this salad..its super fast and super tasty.

@ Mythreyee: Do try it and let me know if you liked it too :-)

FH said...

Dish looks great.Simple and delicious.I bet it's satisfying too.Thanks for the recipe.

Spandana said...

Hi Priya..
The dish looks simple and different. Will try it soon. Thanks for sharing!

marriedtoadesi.com said...

I can just imagine the flavours bursting in my mouth. I will definitely try this! Thanks Priya!

Kanchana

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I can find orzo in the market here in Vizag. If I do, I'll want to try this salad. Nice pic, Priya.

Lakshmik said...

Priya can you believe it. I did the same thing too. Even yesterday I saw the orzo in my pantry and said I have to make something. You have inspired me to do so.

Anonymous said...

Oh Priya, this looks great! I have had something similar with feta cheese in as well... must try your way soon :) Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I luuuuuuuuuvvvv Orzo pasta!!! :) Yours has some interesting additions to it. :) Nice one there Priya :)

Altoid said...

Hey Priya

Wonderful recipe. I've never used orzo before this and love the combination of ingredients.

Thanks for sharing this recipe

--altoid

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