My Orzo Weighs A Ton

“It’s plain to see, it’s a pain to be Number One in the Public Eye Enemy”

Theme song by Public Enemy “Miuzi Weighs A Ton” from Yo! Bum Rush The Show
Listen on Spotify
Listen on YouTube

Listen to the More Recipes About Music & Food Spotify Playlist

Going deep in the crates for this one. If you are not familiar with Yo! Bum Rush The Show then stop reading this, fire up the streaming service of your choice, play this album, and come back to read this. It’s ok. I’ll be here when you get back.

I’m not going to turn this into some old white guy talking about the brilliance of ’80s era Def Jam or “real hip hop.” I’m too old to get into that crap. While I know I was never PE’s target audience, I always respected their choice to steer clear of gangsta or sex rap and take the political route. The hip hop of the ’80s and ’90s, especially PE, is the main reason I can’t take much of modern “hip hop/rap”. One highlight of my days in the music biz was a brief meeting with Chuck D. at a digital music conference. I went pretty much mega fanboy, but he was very chill about it.

I try to have one or two pasta salads or soups in the fridge at all times. They make easy meals when you really don’t want to cook. What ingredients you use are really up to you. The only required ones are orzo, sundried tomatoes, and feta. I have used red onion and sweet onion, but find scallions hold up better over time. If you decide to use fresh tomatoes, core and de-seed them before chopping. I often serve it on baby spinach to get a serving of dark greens, but this works well as a stand-alone salad and travels well in an airtight container.

MY ORZO WEIGHS A TON
Orzo pasta, peppers, scallions, sundried tomato, feta & red wine vinaigrette
Makes 8 – 10 main servings

3 scallions, sliced
2 yellow peppers, medium dice
1 red pepper, medium dice
1 orange pepper, medium dice
6-ounces of sundried tomato, medium dice
8-ounces of feta, crumbled
8-ounces of orzo pasta
Red wine vinaigrette (see below)
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook orzo according to package instructions for al dente. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and let drain to dry.

Put scallions, peppers, and sundried tomato in a large bowl. Add orzo and toss to thoroughly combine. Add red wine vinaigrette and toss to coat. Finish by adding crumbled feta cheese and gently stirring to combine. Salt & pepper to taste.

Place in an airtight container and put in the fridge. Let rest at least 1 hour before serving.

RED WINE VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Dijon
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup olive oil

Whisk together vinegar, dijon, garlic, black pepper, and basil. Continue whisking and slowly drizzle in olive oil. When olive oil is thoroughly incorporated, use it to dress your salad and keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.