Orzo and Chick Pea Salad

There's something really exciting about trying out new ingredients. That's why this orzo-based salad was so fun to make (well, that and the goat cheese), since I've never really had orzo before. So what is orzo? Well, orzo is basically tiny little rice-shaped pasta bits--like spaghetti minus the effort of twirling around a fork. Add to that some really good-for-you ingredients--and did I mention the goat cheese??--and this recipe provides you with a delicious side salad or light lunch for your next meal!

Here's what you will need:

• 1/2 pound orzo (cooked according to package instructions)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small to medium zucchini, diced (I also peeled mine first, but this is totally personal preference)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, drained
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped (I didn't have these, so I left them out--I'm sure they would have been delicious, however!)
• 1/2 cup feta or goat cheese, crumbled (I used goat cheese--yum!)
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• How simple is this dish to make? 
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• First, cook your orzo according to package instructions, and prep your veggies.
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• After prepping your veggies, give them a quick saute in olive oil in a large skillet until your onion and zucchini are soft, and your garlic is fragrant. Toss in your salt, pepper, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and orzo to allow the remaining ingredients to warm (and the flavors to meld). Stir.
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• The last step is your choice. I added in my goat cheese here so that it melted and provided a creamy, sauce-like consistency for the salad. I also ate my salad warm for lunch. However, you could also choose to let the salad cool and crumble the goat cheese into it. Either way, it will be delicious.
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• Enjoy! 

Goat Cheese Salad (for when a large chunk of cheese ball just isn't enough)

For dinner tonight, I made a fried goat cheese salad. Now, let me begin by saying that "goat cheese" sounds insanely disgusting. I personally used to picture something congealed and bleating, created only because somewhere, some truly unfortunate soul ran out of cows but REALLY wanted some cheese to put on her nachos. And then, because the universe hates it when people miss out on really awesome cheese, I tasted the most incredible pulled pork and goat cheese nachos in Hawaii and have been in love ever since. Look at how tasty these guys were-even now, I'm drooling:

Yum. Anyway, as soon as my husband and I returned home, I was determined to find additional ways of eating this marvelous cheese (which, as it turns out, can be purchased in the form of a simple log--some even come flavored with herbs for you--and is neither curdle-y nor bleating). And then I saw an episode of 5 Ingredient Fix with a goat cheese salad: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/crispy-goat-cheese-salad-recipe/index.html. Many thanks to Claire Robinson and her awesome timing!

Now, when I made this the first time (yes, this is my second attempt at this recipe), I followed the recipe exactly, and everything was very tasty--but the cheese did not hold its shape well. So this time around, I did the following:

1) Bought a log of goat cheese with herbs already in it (so I did not need to buy a flavored olive oil as the original recipe called for).

2) Cut it into circles (I used a 6 oz. log and cut it into 6 circles, 3 each for my husband and me).

3) Decided that I should continue to avoid the scale for the next couple of days and moved on to step 4.

4) Coated the cheese circles with flour, dipped them in egg, and then covered them in breadcrumbs.

5) Fried them in a half inch of olive oil for a couple minutes on each side (just be sure to watch them, as they brown quickly).

6) And finally, plated them on a bed of lettuce with our dressing of choice (we like ranch, but you can always do a vinaigrette dressing or none at all since goat cheese has a creamier texture).

This time, the circles held their shape marvelously! (Of course, because I am indecisive, I immediately decided I that I preferred the gooey, oh so much healthier baked version that I made the first time. But, these would make for a sophisticated version of the mozzarella stick, I think, and plan to save this preparation method for the future for that purpose.) Enjoy!