Summer Salads #1- Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad

Source: Kuty's Kreation

So I think the majority of all of us have a desired "weight range" we strive to be within. Unfortunately summertime has arrived and all the delicious California food has caught up to me. I've found myself past my weight spectrum.. so it's time to buckle down and start cooking some Summer Slimdown dishes!

I'm hoping that this a first in a long series of Summer Salads. My goal is to find healthy yet flavorful recipes.


Ingredients

• 8 oz Orzo Pasta
• 1 Head of Broccoli
• 1 Bunch of Asparagus (8-10)
• 1-2 Tomatoes
• 1 Red Onion
• 1 Cucumber
• 1/4 Bunch of Coriander
• 1 Avocado
• 2-3 Tablespoons Feta (Optional)
• 2-4 Garlic cloves
  

Seasonings:

• Oregano
• Cayenne Pepper (for some spice)
• Pepper
• Salt
• Olive Oil (optional)
• Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to the broil setting (Can you tell that I LOVE to broil? :) )

2. Boil water and cook orzo until al dente (don't overcook!)

3. Wash and chop the broccoli into small florets. Chop the asparagus into 1 inch sections.

4. Spray a pan with cooking spray and toss in the broccoli and asparagus. Season with Oregano, Cayenne Pepper, Pepper, Salt, Olive Oil (optional). Broil for 5-6 minutes. Toss around and broil for another 5-6 minutes until fully cooked and charred.

5. Chop the onion, cucumbers, tomato, avocado into cubes

6. Toss together the orzo, all vegetables, coriander with garlic, lemon juice, and salt to taste

7. Sprinkle on some feta cheese for an extra burst of flavor

Kuty's Twist

You can either steam or broil the broccoli and asparagus. I prefer the taste of vegetables when they're broiled.

I wanted to pack this for lunch for a few days this week so I stored the orzo, broccoli, and asparagus separately from the other veggies. The salad has a nice flavor if the orzo, broccoli, and asparagus are warmed up and then combined with the other cold veggies. The avocado should also be added right before serving since it tends to go brown.