Orzo Salad with Feta, Mint and Green Onions...OH MY!

Hey there lovelies! Happy Wednesday! It's almost the weekend! The hubs and I are celebrating 5 years of wedded bliss this weekend! Woohoo!!! So, today I have one of my most fav recipes to share with you! I planned to write this post about a year ago and never got around to it! Ha! Finally, the wait is over, it's here, in all it's glory! This recipe comes from one of my favorite restaurants ever, Julienne in San Marino, California (the town where Father of the Bride was filmed and takes place and one of the houses from The Holiday is there~our friends live there!)! I LOVE this restaurant so much! Anytime, I go to visit my fam, I have to hit it up! We ate there the day of our rehearsal dinner and even had them cater Reagan's Baptism. :) They came out with a cookbook and while it doesn't have all my favorite recipes, it does have a few key and delish recipes that I believe, are life changing! The one that I am going to share is my fav from the cookbook. Seriously so delish and add a glass of Sav Blanc or Pinot Grigio and you'll be in heaven. Perfect for a spring or summer day. You can serve this as a side and pair it with anything really, they suggest lamb. We eat it as a meal in itself, most of the time! If you ever get to that area, you must try this restaurant! Their chilaquiles are pretty much the best thing you'll ever eat, along with their chicken tarragon salad on their amazing rosemary currant bread! YUMMMMMMMM!!!! Really, you can't go wrong with anything you order!

It seems like a lot of bell peppers! I doubled the recipe once! Now, that was a lot of peppers!

I can justify 12 ounces of Feta because it's fat free. ;) But, if I'm being honest, I can justify any amount of Feta, at any time!

 

Now for the amazing recipe!

Orzo Salad with Feta, Mint and Green Onions (serves 8-10)

1 pound orzo

3 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch dice

3 yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch dice (I use orange peppers as well...more color!)

4 garlic cloves, minced. (I use a tablespoon of minced garlic...this stuff makes my hectic life a tad easier. It's the small things.)

1/2 cup olive oil (divided)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5 green onions, minced

12 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup (lightly packed) fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cook the orzo in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring frequenctly to prevent sticking, about 10 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a baking sheet to cool completely.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Toss the peppers and garlic in a large roasting pan with 1/4 cup of the olive oil to coat (I wear kitchen gloves and mix this up with my hands...works best in my opinion). Season with salt and black pepper. Broil the mixture, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly blistered, about 20 minutes. 

Combine the cooked orzo, broiled peppers, green onions, feta cheese, mint and pine nuts in a large bowl. Toss the salad with lemon juice and enough of the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil to moisten thoroughly. Season the salad to taste with salt and black pepper.

*You can make this salad 1 day ahead, then cover and refrigerate it. Serve cold or at room temp. I like cold best, but both are delish. I usually let sit at least an hour in the fridge before we eat. Makes a great leftover lunch as well!

Some advice from moi? You should make this recipe this weekend! You will not be disappointed! Add some vino and make it ever better! Hope you had a fabulous day! Friday is coming! Get excited!

xoxo,

Ashley