Ingredients: |
Ingredients: What to buy from the store:
1 each of green, red, yellow and orange peppers
1 red onion
A bunch of parsley
A lemon
Dried cherries (or currants)
A package of real wild rice (it comes in a small box and it is from Minnesota)
1 cup of orzo pasta
Other ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Italian seasoning
What you will need:
2 pots to cook the orzo and wild rice seperately
Your sharpest chef knife and a huge cutting board
A big mixing bowl
A big spatula
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Directions: |
Directions:How to prep and combine: (This whole damn thing is prep work, after you prep you combine, season, taste and adjust)
- First cook the wild rice by the package instructions. It takes almost an hour, so do this first. It smells really good when it cooks, almost like tea.
- Second cook a cup the orzo per the package instruction, (This cooks faster, but they do not have to be done at the same time. Don't try to time it perfectly everything comes together at the end)
- While stuff cooks, chop a half of all the peppers and half the onion and a bit of the parsley super finely. This recipe is a real test of the knife skills. Tiny pieces are what you are looking for. You will have leftover peppers, onions and parsley that you will not use, but hey you cannot buy half a pepper. :)
- Drain the pasta and rice when they complete and dump them into the big mixing bowl
- After the pasta is in the bowl immediately add several tablespoons of olive oil so it does not stick together
- Add everything to the bowl folding it all together.
- Add salt, pepper, seasoning, a dash of sugar and the vinegar until it tastes good. You may need to add more olive oil here as well, you will be able to tell. Keep it light it is always easier add more. You don't want a big pool of stuff at the bottom of the bowl.
- Chop the dried cherries and add them. J Alexanders uses currants, but I like cherries. Lots of dired fruits would likely work (cranberries would be interesting). Pick what you like.
- Add a squeeze lemon juice at the end to brighten it all up
- Taste often and adjust seasoning until you like it
- Cover and refrigerate
- Serve |
This recipe for Orzo & Wild Rice Salad is from