Monday, August 21, 2023

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad



We are still in a heatwave of temperatures over 100+ degrees! My friend Rita, at Panoply Blog, had mentioned her favorite Greek Orzo Pasta Salad when I posted my Mediterranean Pasta Salad, and I checked it out.  It's cool and refreshing and perfect for Summer.


I decided to use my Greek Dressing from the Mediterranean Pasta Salad for the orzo salad and to marinated some shrimp that I had.  I put the shrimp on skewers and they cooked quickly.   


I also cut up some pineapple and sprinkled the spears with brown sugar and grilled them, too.


These two cutie pies started school this past week....kindergarten and third grade.


My daughter took Caiden off to Oklahoma State University, and I took some snacks and treats for him to have in his dorm.

 

Avery, who has started varsity volleyball already, had a tournament on Saturday, and she won the All Tournament Medal, voted by all the coaches,  and her team won the tournament.



Yield: 8
Author: Kitty, but referred by Rita and adapted from My Baking Addiction
Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

I only made half of this salad and used my own Greek Salad Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Orzo Pasta
  • 32 ounces of vegetable stock (I used Chicken stock)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 3 cloves garlic, roasted (I put the cloves on foil and sprinkled with a little olive oil, sealed the foil, and roasted for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees, or until soft)
  • 1 medium shallot, finely diced
  • 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into half moon shapes
  • 1/3-1/2 cup Kalamata olives, or a mixture of Greek olives,  sliced
  • Greek Dressing to taste,  recipe is here

Instructions

  1. Bring the stock and water to a boil in a medium pot. Cook orzo according to package directions. (I had to keep testing as my orzo was still not cooked at the recommended time.) Drain and rinse under cold water and place in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil.
  2. Add the Feta cheese, and all the veggies, and olives. Add enough dressing to coat the orzo.
  3. Cover and chill until serving time.

Notes

If you don't want to use the Greek Dressing, use the zest and juice of one lemon, 1 tablespoon each of fresh basil, mint, and parsley, and a splash of red wine vinegar, according to My Baking Addiction. I personally loved the homemade Greek Dressing on the salad.


Thank you for your visit!  xo




20 comments:

  1. All that food sounds so delicious! I hope all of your grandkids have a wonderful school year. Congrats to Avery!

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  2. We love an orzo salad for summer Kitty, yours looks so tasy with your Greek dressing and your grilled shrimp! Happy first day of school to those two cuties. Best wishes to Caiden and congrats to Avery too. Hope you can stay cool, your Texas heat wave has been brutal. ♥

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  3. Thanks for the shout out, Kitty. Your meal sounded great. What a great bunch of kids your gene pool has produced! Congrats to Avery and best wishes to all the kids starting new chapters. ❤️

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  4. Your babies are adorable and growing up too fast dear Kitty. Love salads and thank you for sharing your recipes with us. I hope that you are having a wonderful August which is about over! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  5. The Greek salad is making my mouth water!

    Congrats to Avery on her athletic awards!

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  6. Kitty your family is amazing. I love you document all these special days. And your Greek orzo dish looks perfect for those hot hot hot days. Hope you get a break from all that heat soon. God bless.

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  7. Thanks for the recipe and it looks like school is off to a bright start where you are!
    hugs
    Donna

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  8. Oh, that salad sounds so good! Thank you for always sharing such wonderful recipes and also the photos of your family. So thankful all is well with everyone. God bless you, sweet friend.

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  9. This salad looks great Kitty, I haven’t used orzo in ages, I need to get some! Congrats to Avery and to all the kids as they start a new year of school! Hopefully the rain coming your way will cool things down a little~
    Jenna

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  10. This sounds wonderful Kitty! I just love Mediterranean foods! Something about the olives, feta cheese and fresh tomatoes and veggies - yum! So hard to see the grands grow up and then leave for college! How time does fly! Blessings to you :)

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  11. Adorable Family as ever and yummy recipe. Hugs and blessings.

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  12. Wow, school is in full swing in your neck of the woods, we still have a few weeks of summer vacation left around here. Maybe we'll celebrate it with some of your orzo salad!! Best of luck for a great school year for all your littles...and not so littles!

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  13. I've made Rita's orzo salad and enjoy it. I hope all of your grandkids have a wonderful school year. Congrats to Avery!

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  14. Orzo salad, so good, I can never get enough of it. Thanks. Well done to Avery and team
    I visited you via Encouraging Hearts and Home: Quick and Delicious!
    I linked up this week with = 56+57. This is a friendly reminder and invitation for you to come and join us at SeniorSalonPitStop. You will find the linkup information under BLOGGING.

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  15. With this salad when they look good, your grandchildren are sure to like it a lot

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  16. So many new milestones with the beautiful grands, Kitty! Where does the time go? Congrats to Avery! The Greek salad looks so yummy and healthy, too. Thank you for sharing it. I hope your temperatures cool off soon. I'm sure you are anxious for fall this year. Sending hugs xo K

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  17. Kitty, this sounds so refreshing. Bookmarked so I can try later.
    Visiting today from Encouraging Hearts & Home #27&38

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  18. I enjoy seeing your grands in your post. Avery is a superstar, WOW~ congrats to her! The salad looks so delish especially for hot temps. I might have to try it this week since you and Rita both like it!

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  19. Hi Kitty,
    Your greek Orzo Pasta Salad looks delicious and so refreshing for our hot days! It is always good to see your special grands and family fun! Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and hope to see you again soon at Full Plate Thursday!
    Miz Helen

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