Orzo, Spinach and Feta Salad

If you’re like me, you let last weekend's gloomy New York skies discourage you from kickboxing, going jean shopping and doing laundry.  Instead, you watched episodes of Lost that you’ve already seen, suffered through a good chunk of the Miss America pageant, flipped through US Weekly and waited for your homemade pickled carrots to pickle.  You’re excited because they pickled nicely with a perfect balance of astringency and sweetness.  You might have also eaten way too much pizza and a few too many slices of last week’s date cake.  Oh wait, that was my weekend.
  

If you also spent your weekend binging and lounging, then I suggest that you join me for a week's worth of healthy (and tastebud-friendly) salad.  This one is inspired by the orzo salad that I’ve been getting from Whole Foods at least once a year for the past 15 years. The version below, as per my waistline’s request, is heavier on the spinach and lighter on the olive oil and cheese, but you can adjust the main ingredients in this foolproof recipe to your liking.   It holds up well in the fridge for many days so it’s a great salad to make a bunch of and bring to work throughout the week. 

RECIPE

Makes 4 large servings

3/4 cup dried orzo pasta
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
4 loosely packed cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
10 large mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
12 turns freshly cracked black pepper

1.  Soak the diced onion in a small bowl of water.

2.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (your water should be as salty as chicken soup).  Add in the orzo and cook for the time stated on the package.  When pasta is done cooking, drain it and let it cool to room temperature.

3.  In a small saute pan over low/medium heat, toast the nuts until they are golden brown (don’t take your eyes off the pan because nuts burn fast and if you’re using pine nuts, you know they aren’t cheap!)

4.  Drain the onions.  In a very large mixing bowl, toss the cooled pasta with all the other ingredients.  Serve.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.