Cool Recipe

Here's a great recipe that my mom found in a newspaper article and sent to me. It combines two of my favorite food-related things: it's super-easy, and it's at least peripherally Greek. I hate to cook, so the easy part hooked me right away. And I'll eat anything that sounds like it comes from within 100 miles of the Mediterranean. It's got a touch of tanginess (thanks to some lemon juice and goat cheese) and the chickpeas give the texture some variety. It literally took me about ten minutes to make, and 8 of that was boiling the orzo. If you've never heard of orzo, it's not rice - it's a form of pasta made from wheat (sorry to my gluten-free friends, I haven't quite been able to make myself jump on the bandwagon yet) and you can find it in the spaghetti aisle. Though be warned - I had to look hard to find it. Anyway, here's the recipe; give it a try sometime for a nice change of pace and a cheap, easy side dish:

1.5 cups uncooked orzo

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

15 oz can chickpeas, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

5 oz log goat cheese, crumbled

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 8 minutes). Drain the orzo and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Add the chickpeas, orzo, and oregano. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in the goat cheese. *Can be served warm or at room temperature.