I made this orzo pasta salad last week to take as part of a picnic dinner for an outdoor concert. It was simple, delicious, and quick. Cooking doesn't get much easier than this!
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Ingredients:
- 14 oz. cooked orzo
- 1 yellow or red pepper, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 1-1/2 cup spinach, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup feta crumbles
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper, to taste
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Prepare ingredients.
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I find that the easiest way to chop the spinach and basil is to take a handful, roll it up tightly, and then slice. I use this method whenever I chop fresh herbs.
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Once ingredients are prepared mix everything together with cooked orzo. Refrigerate and serve cold. Tastes great the next day too.
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Last week my Mom, Aunt, and I went to see Kenny Loggins in concert at the Meijer Gardens (If you are ever in Western Michigan the Meijer Gardens are a must see). This was my first time to a concert @ the gardens. It was great! They have an outdoor stage and seating is on tiered sections on a hill. Everyone brings their lawn chairs and a picnic dinner.
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I brought the pasta salad, my Mom brought delicious turkey sandwiches on focaccia, and my Aunt brought this amazing appetizer platter:
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Yum! At one point the people next to us turned and said "Wow, you guys are like the Martha Stewart group!" Haha, it was pretty funny.
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It was a great show. I bet that even if you don't think you are a Kenny Loggins fan, you probably are! He has so many hits - Footloose, This Is It, The Danger Zone, Celebrate Me Home (my personal favorite), Whenever I Call You Friend, and so many more. I might also be trying to validate the fact that I was one of the youngest people there!
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I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I'm off to Chicago with my Dad and World's Cutest Brother to visit Baby Sister for three nights of fun in the city!
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I've linked up to Tasty Tuesdays @ A Beautiful Mess.
This looks great! I will have to try! :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend in Chicago!
how yummy! And great for a more summer day!
ReplyDeleteI just want to say...I made your caesar potato salad the other night and it was SO GOOD!
ReplyDeleteI will def. be making that again. Thanks for sharing all your yummy recipes!
That orzo salad looks fantastic! It looks like you guys had a wonderful evening filled with great music and yummy food! I love Kenny Loggins. My sister has a CD she used to play for my nephew and it has a song called "Return To Pooh Corner" and it's so precious. The cover to the CD is totally bizarre looking.
ReplyDeleteSalad looks delicious and who doesn't love (or secretly love) Kenny!! Have fun in Chicago!
ReplyDeleteYey, for yummy food! Do you know where your aunt bought that appetizer platter from? It is super cool.
ReplyDeletexoxoxox
Kenny Loggins music brings back memories. I love House at Pooh Corner....still! Great shots!
ReplyDeleteLike Sonya - I am dieing to know where your aunt found her platter container at? I need one - how awesome is that... great for nights on the lawn listening to music!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous job you did on that salad!!! That's actually one of my favorite dishes :) you make me want some right now! lol
ReplyDeleteYou are driving me crazy with your amazing photos of food. They are so darn colorful and beautiful I want to grab a fork and dig in. If that salad tastes as good as it looks..... it must be out of this world.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Dana
Looks great! Will have to try it myself...oh, making me hungry already (: Just found your blog and became a follower. I look forward to reading future posts (:
ReplyDeleteMichele
XOXO
I LOVE Kenny Loggins, but he looks a bit different than I remembered . . . is it just me??
ReplyDeleteand you guys are really like, THE food stylist group! everything looks beautiful, as always. have a safe & fun trip!
What a fun salad and your pictures are amazing!
ReplyDeleteOh my, I adore orzo and this looks fabulous!!!! YUM
ReplyDeleteHow lucky are you?? Salad looks delish and fab. I'd love for you to link it up to my tasty tuesdays this week again if you can.
ReplyDeleteI just bookmarked this page - thanks, that salad looks delish! And so does that appetizer tray! That evening sounds lovely. And you are right , it's hard not to love at least ONE Kenny Loggins song- and I'm 36. That's not OLD, right?!?
ReplyDeletelooks yummy! the salad, not kenny. i gave your blog an award here http://thethriftyba.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-have-substance-really.html
ReplyDeleteLove Kenny. Love pretty-much-anything skewered...on a pick, stick, etc. My fave is a cheese tortellini, cherry tomato and black olive, drizzled with a (good) italian dressing. Total yum! (Even better when the tomatoes come from by backyard.)
ReplyDeleteSoooo yummy - can't wait to try the salad! The skewers look fantastic too!
ReplyDeleteI love how you incorporated this into a story!
Stopping by from Tasty Tuesdays :)
I have never even heard of orzo! How can this be?? I'm trying this recipe asap. Thanks. :-) Stopping by from Tasty Tuesdays.
ReplyDeletewow, what an easy and healthy recipe. Not to mention, the step-by-step pictures...love it! thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour salad looks beautiful, and sounds delicious. I never thought of using orzo in a salad, but it's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteOkay so I totally would have loved that concert. And my husband so makes fun of me for it. Once a long time ago I was a member of a CD through the mail club and ordered what I thought was a Kenney Loggins CD but got a Kenney G instead. My husband thought it was hilarious because he says Kenney Loggins isn't any better, but there are some of his songs that I just LOVE. P.S. salad looks amazing. What time's dinner?
ReplyDeleteLooks fun, and that salad looks yummy. Now I know what to do with that half package of orzo in my cupboard.
ReplyDeleteThanks SOOO much for sharing this in my tasty tuesdays. Feel free to share any other delish ideas any time. I host every Tuesday.
ReplyDeletealicia @ a beautiful mess
Thanks, this looks really good and healthy! And Kenny Loggins - how fun!
ReplyDeleteI love this looks so good! Visiting you from Tasty Tuesdays!
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing the directions to your potato salad. We didn't end up making it, but it is still on our summer list. There is a simple search engine gadget that is super handy for anyone wanting to find a post. Just one word will get them there. I use it all the time on my own blog when I want to link back to a post. It will cut down on annoying emails like mine : )
ReplyDeleteDana
I saw Kenny Loggins in Phoenix years ago. It was a really good concert. Now we didn't have your food with us, which looked delicious! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Have a wonderful day! Denise@cottagesisters
ReplyDeleteThat salad looks delicious! Thanks for the new recipe. :) Found you via Remodelaholic, happy to be a new follower.
ReplyDelete-Ann Marie