Greek Style Orzo - a Rachlel Ray Recipe

Made this as part of our dinner last night and it was quite yummy.

•1/2 pound orzo pasta

•1 red onion, chopped

•1 green bell pepper, chopped

•1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

•1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

•1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

•1/2 pound Greek feta, crumbled

•3-4 Greek hot peppers, chopped or a couple of tablespoons banana pepper rings, chopped

PREPARATION:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the orzo pasta.

Heat a skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the two cloves chopped garlic and toss for a minute, then add the olives and tomatoes to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more. Drain the orzo and toss in a serving dish with the vegetables, along with the parsley, feta and hot peppers. Adjust the black pepper to your taste and drizzle with a little extra EVOO.

Pork Kofta Pitas with Tomato Salsa

This yummy dish is what I made last night for dinner.  It was a hit!

Ingredients



1 lb (454 g) lean ground pork
2 green onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (25 mL) minced fresh dill
1-1/2  tsp (7 mL) each paprika, and coriander
3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground cumin
1 egg, beaten
4 pita pockets, cut in half
1 cup (250 mL) sliced English cucumber
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced


Tomato Salsa:

1 cup (250 mL) chopped seeded tomato
1 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh dill
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1 tbsp(15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
pinch  salt
pinch granulated sugar


Preparation:


Tomato Salsa:
In bowl, combine tomatoes, green onion, dill, lemon juice, oil, salt and sugar; let stand for 10 minutes.


In large bowl, mix together pork, green onions, garlic, dill, paprika, coriander, salt, cumin, egg and 1 tbsp (15 mL) water. Divide into 8 portions; form each into egg shape. Thread onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers.


Place on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and cook, turning once, until digital thermometer inserted into shapes reads 160°F (71°C), 10 minutes. Remove from skewers. Insert 1 kofta into each pita; add cucumber, onion and salsa.

 Source:
Canadian Living Magazine: September 2009