Happy hump day friends!! That means we are getting closer and closer to the holiday weekend – are you excited?? I’m excited for a long weekend, but we don’t generally do much “celebrating” for these types of holidays. But who knows…maybe we’ll make a trip to the river, go tubing or something. Nothing like some last minute planning, eh?? I’ll letcha know next week how it all plays out.
In the meantime, this recipe would be a great one if you want to grill but want something a little different than the traditional burgers, hot dogs, steaks, or whatnot. It’s healthy, it’s colorful, it’s summer-y, and it’s freaking delicious. Need I say more??
And on the off chance that you are one of those oddballs who doesn’t like salmon (giving you a loving side-eye here), I would be willing to bet that you could also make this with grilled chicken. Either way, the orzo salad is kinda to die for.
- 1 1/2 cups orzo
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups loosely packed, fresh baby spinach (I used a baby spinach/baby kale mixture)
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)
- 4 – 6 oz salmon fillets
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Prepare the orzo according to package instructions. I prefer to use chicken broth instead of water, but that part is up to you!
- While the orzo is cooking, whisk together the vinegar, shallots, and garlic in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place the drained orzo in a large bowl and add the spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts, basil and vinaigrette. Stir to combine well, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature.
- Heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill) over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place on the prepared grill pan (or grill) skin side down if the skin is still on. Grill for 4-5 minutes then flip. If your salmon has the skin on it, this would be the time to use a pair of tongs to pull the skin off. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, depending on thickness, until cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. (If you are using skin-on salmon and want the pretty grill marks on both sides, you can flip the salmon a second time during the last minute or two to give the side originally with skin the marks as well.)
- To serve, spoon a generous amount of the orzo salad in the center of each plate, sprinkle with a little feta cheese, and top with a salmon fillet.
I'll take J's pinenuts. That sounded a little rude, but… you know what I mean!
That orzo looks great 🙂
(No salmon for me, thanks – I'll switch that out for chicken)