This weekend has been relaxing. I have done lots of cooking, along with a lot of absolutely nothing. Lazy days are one of my favorites. Of course once I start feeling like I haven't been active I get up and do a half hour workout, but hey that is less than 3% of my day. After the workout I don't feel bad about just sitting around blogging, or looking up recipes online. Plus, I'm not trying to lose weight, just get toned, so short intense workouts are really all that I need. I feel great after them, and I have lots of time left in the day to do what I please. Today that means I get to recipe search and cook as much as I want. :)
Recently I have been on a kick to try new things. This time I had a craving for orzo. No I have never tried it before this recipe, and don't ask me why I was craving something I have never eaten. I found this simple recipe and I thought it would be a good chance for me to finally try orzo pasta. Normally I don't like pasta salads. Cold pasta kind of weirds me out, but I thought that a pasta salad with orzo wouldn't be that bad. It wasn't! I had it for lunch three days in a row, and I had no regrets. Low in calories, great source of protein, and you get fruit and veggies all in one dish. A light and healthy lunch always makes me feel great the rest of the day!
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| If you are like me and hate chopping broccoli because the little green "leaves" get everywhere and it's all messy, try this! I take the very point of the knife and make small slits in the stem, very close to the top. I then just pull it apart and you have tiny little broccoli. The "leaves" stay in place, and you don't have a pile of them sitting on your cutting board. |
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| Shake it up! |
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| All my mixings are ready, just waiting for the pasta to cook. :) |
Strawberry & Broccoli Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Sweet Treats and More
Ingredients:
For salad:
3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 cup fresh strawberry chunks or slices
3/4 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1/4 cup slivered almonds
salt and pepper to taste
For vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
dash of salt and pepper
Directions:
- Cook orzo pasta until al dente.
- Meanwhile, place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small tuber-ware bowl. Cover and shake until combined.
- Drain pasta, and rinse with cold water to cool off. Place in a medium size bowl and toss in strawberries, broccoli, and almonds gently.
- Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition: Calories 283; Fat 12g; Protein 8g; Carbs 40g; Cholesterol 0mg; Fiber 4g
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