CAUTION:Bright & Colorful Salad

I've made an orzo salad in the past, but this time I took it to a whole new level. I adapted the recipe from this post over at Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food bloggers. She combined simple ingredients to create a robust dressing that I will be sure to use on many dishes to come.

Before I get into the recipe I have a little announcement...ahem ahem...

I am now the newest and only cooking columnist for The Next Great Generation (TNGG). I will be featured in their Lifestyle section every other week!

You can now find some of my recipes/ posts on TheNextGreatGeneration.com! Today, you can find me on the front page. :)

I am excited to get my name out there. Hopefully more people see my recipes and start thinking "Oh, I could easily do that." That would be awesome. So whenever you make one of my recipes, or your are inspired from one of my posts please drop me a line. It makes me real happy!

Moving on to the salad. I brought this one into work again. As my days in LA are numbered I am starting to wonder who I will bring all my food to. Lucky for J, we'll be living together and he'll get to have all of it!

Colorful Mediterranean Salad

If the bright colors hurt your eyes then you're viewing this correctly. The pop of colors in this salad is intense, but enhances the taste. When things look good they taste better too!

Ingredients:

For the salad

1 package of Orzo

1 cup of Corn (from the can drained)

1 jar of Sliced Roasted Red Bell Peppers

3/4 cup of Chopped Dried Apricots

1/2 cup Chopped Parsley

For roasted tomatoes and dressing

1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes

3 large Garlic Cloves (Left unpeeled)

1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Warm Water

1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Start by cooking Orzo pasta, cook al dente, drain, and cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven 375°. Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange cut side up in one layer in a baking pan, season with Italian seasoning. Toss in garlic cloves as well and bake until tomatoes are slightly shriveled around edges (about 1 hour).

(Before)

(After)

3. To make the dressing, peel the garlic and puree with oil, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes in a blender until dressing is very smooth.

(Before)

(After)

4. In a large bowl add the Orzo and arrange the corn, roasted peppers, dried apricots, chopped parsley, and the rest of the roasted tomatoes in whatever fashion you think is most appealing. This method is particularly great to bring to an event. Just toss with the dressing once you arrive.

I individually plated this masterpiece to give it a very elegant touch (I even used fine china!). I drizzled the dressing all over the plate and garnished the mound of salad with a sprig of fresh parsley! Look at those colors. :)

Enjoy!!