Goin' back to Cali....

I'm sitting in my aunt and uncle's living room right now. Eleanor and I got here this morning...flight was great, except the rather bumpy 30 minutes till we moved out of some clouds. And since I'm not a great "flyer" a nice smooth flight was just perfect!!! It was so good to see my aunt, 2 uncles, and one of my cousins. The best was seeing my mom who has been here for the last 7 weeks with my grandma, who just passed away this past Monday. We went out to eat at Chipolte...we SO need one of these in LR...they have the BEST guac!!!! Can't wait to hang out with the rest of my fam this weekend. My grandma's funeral is Monday. Pics will be posted...coming soon. So nice to be back in Cali...my old stomping grounds!

Tasty Tuesday...

Tonight we had roasted chicken, orzo with roasted vegetables, watermelon and cantaloupe for dinner. As usual, the girls gobbled up all the fruit and chicken...they are not huge fans of the orzo salad, but I sure am!!! I got this recipe a while back from a dear friend, Kristin Conklin, and her mom, Jackie Conklin, and I am in LOVE with it. I'll never forget the first time Kristin made it for me...it was on one of our many Dancing With the Stars watch party nights...and I wasn't too sure about it at first, but one bite later and I was HOOKED!!! It is so yummy and it's great with roasted chicken, burgers, sandwiches, etc. Anyway, I thought I would share the recipe with you all cause it's too good to not be shared!

(veggies before being cut and roasted)

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients...

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced

1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced

1 yellow pepper, 1 inch diced

1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 & 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing...

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

To assemble...

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted

3/4 pound good feta, 1/2 inch diced*

Directions...

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Toss eggplant, bell peppers, onion and garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

3. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7-9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

4. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the pine nuts and feta. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

*Note...I used crumbled feta since I usually have it on hand (we eat a lot of it in salads). I also usually add an orange bell pepper into the mix as well (it adds another color and it tastes good). I have not tried it, but Kristin said that sometimes they like to roast asparagus too and add that as well (I'm sure it would taste yummy with that, too)!

ENJOY!!!!

(veggies after being roasted for 40 minutes)

(the final result...minus the pine nuts because I forgot to get them at the store...still YUM, put it in my mouth G.O.O.D.)!!!