Orzo Pasta Salad

It's inevitable. You get invited to a backyard barbecue or a potluck, and need to bring a salad or a side dish. You know that potato salad and cole slaw are covered. You're thinking pasta salad might be nice, but you don't want something with mayonnaise.

Ideally, you'd like something different enough so no one else will bring the same salad, but not so different that people will avoid it.

This recipe makes just about a quart of salad, but you can easily double the recipe - or more - if you need to feed a hoard of guests.

You can find marinated feta and olives in jars or on salad bars. If you can't find that particular mix, you can buy olives and feta cheese separately.

Cut the feta into cubes about the same size as the olives. No need to marinate them first - just add olives, feta, and a bit of olive oil to the salad.

For the spice mix, you can use your favorite Italian or Greek seasoning mix. If you don't have one, a teaspoon each of dried oregano, thyme, and marjoram will work well.

There's no added salt in this salad, since the pasta is cooked in salted water and the cheese and olives add their own saltiness. But of course, salt is always "to taste," so taste the salad after it's assembled, and add salt if you think it's needed.

I used tri-color orzo, but any type of orzo - or really, any small pasta shape - would be just fine.

Orzo Pasta Salad

1 cup dry orzo pasta, cooked in salted water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon Greek or Italian spice mix
1 cup marinated feta and olives
1 tablespoon olive oil from marinated feta and olives
1 tomato, diced
1 pickling cucumber or 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and diced
1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
6 mild Greek pepperoncini, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green onion (scallion) thinly sliced
Wine vinegar, to taste

While the pasta is cooking, prep all your other ingredients.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and rinse it in cool water, then put it in a large bowl and immediately add the lemon juice and stir so the pasta absorbs some of the lemon flavor. Add all of the rest if the ingredients except the wine vinegar. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if necessary. If you prefer a tarter salad, add some red wine vinegar. If the salad seems a little dry, add a splash of olive oil.

Refrigerate until chilled. Serve cold.

This salad can be made a day or two in advance.

This is the way to Auntie's house

This post brought to you by White Castle. All opinions are 100% mine.
I write mostly about home cooking, but when I was offered an opportunity to tell a story about White Castle, I couldn't pass it up. Years ago, when I first told my husband about this family tradition, he thought it was pretty funny, and now that the people involved are no longer with us, it's safe to spill the beans in public.

It all starts with my dad. He wasn't a very demanding guy when it came to food, or at least he wasn't fussy about what he ate. However, he was VERY particular about what time he ate. Lunch was at noon and dinnertime was 5 p.m., with very few exceptions. Oh, sure, he could wait an extra five or ten minutes, but much beyond that and he got cranky.

If he could have a little snack, he could let the dinner deadline slide a little. But when he was stuck with no dinner and no snacks, he was miserable.

And that's what started a family tradition that drove my mother nuts - the ritual stop at White Castle for a few burgers before going to dinner at Mom's sister's house. I thought it was a great treat. My mother thought it was crazy. It kept my dad happy.

You see, we'd be invited to my aunt's house for a holiday dinner - the sisters would switch off between Thanksgiving and Christmas - with our arrival scheduled in early afternoon and dinner planned for some time around 5 p.m. So far, so good. Dad could have lunch at home and look forward to dinner at what he considered the "right" time.

Inevitably, dinner would be delayed. The turkey wouldn't be done, or the roast needed to rest or one of the other guests was running late and we had to wait for them.
It didn't matter how well everything was planned, or how good everyone's intentions were, dinner always moved from 5 p.m. to 6 or maybe even 7, and by then Dad was ready to start munching on the houseplants or fighting the dog for a bone.

One year on the way to my aunt's house, Dad pulled the car into White Castle while my mother protested loudly and I giggle with glee. I loved having burgers my size, and it seemed so naughty to stop for a snack on the way to eat dinner. And, trufhfully, I never liked my aunt's cooking as much as I liked what Mom made, so it was a little insurance, just in case I had to refuse that awful turkey stuffing or mince pie.

While Mom protested that we were already running late and that we'd ruin our appetites, Dad said he knew dinner would be late as usual, and he wasn't going to put up with it any more. And if he was being honest, he didn't like the stuffing, either. So he had burgers, I had burgers, and mom had a little pout in the car.

Then we were on our way, tummies happy. When the dinner ran late and later, Dad was able to be a civilized guest, and everyone was happier, even when mince pie was on the table.

Where I live now, there aren't any White Castles nearby, so I can't take advantage ot the two free sliders at the White Castle site, CraverNation.com, but I did print out a coupon for some frozen burgers. And when I told my husband, he grinned. We both grew up eating them, and we've both got stories. It's like edible nostalgia.

What's that? You want two free sliders?
I knew you would. Join Craver Nation!, and pick up your coupon and check out the promotions that are currently running - the You Just Got Served and National Anthem challenges.

And tell me, have YOU ever had a White Castle burger (or, you know, a handful of them?) What's your story?

Stuffed Olives #SundaySupper

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that surprise people the most. Like stuffed olives.

Sure, you've seen plenty of stuffed olives, but think about it. Most - if not all - stuffed olives are green. Stuff some plain black olives and people will think you're a genius. It's unexpected, while at the same time it's very familiar.

But what would you stuff a black olive with? Cheese is good. I started with some chevre. Then I decided it needed some spice. Captain Spongefoot's Sriracha Z Table Sauce was perfect.

You don't need a lot of ingredients for something like this. The olives are a little salty, the cheese is tangy, and the sauce adds spice.

This post was written for Fooducopia. For more information, see the tab at the top.

Stuffed Black Olives

1 can pitted black olives
2 ounces chevre
1 teaspoon Captain Spongefoot's Sriracha Z Table Sauce
Several grinds white pepper
Milk (as needed)

Drain the olives and pat dry.

In a small bowl, combine the chevre, sriracha, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add milk to thin it out just enough so you can pipe the mixture into the olives. Or, if you have an olive stuffer, you don't need the milk.

Taste for seasoning, and add more sriracha if you want spicier olives.

Using a pastry bag or a plastic bag with a corner snipped off, or an olive stuffer, fill the olives with the cheese mixture.

Serve.

This post is part of #SundaySupper. Want to see more?

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