Greek Orzo Salad

Blogger is giving me a lot of trouble this morning. When I push "publish" it keeps messing with the format of my photos. I don't know why it decided to be so annoying today. Maybe it's picking on me. I'm already in a sour mood because despite the blizzard-like conditions outside my front door, I'm supposed to go to school. The snow is coming down so hard right now that I can't see the street. We had off most of last week for less dangerous conditions, so really, why is the university being so stubborn today?

The public schools tried to pull the same stunt and the buses showed up early this morning. Now they've canceled and are shipping the kids back home. What a waste. If they could just get around to making up their minds, we could all have stayed in bed and been a little less cranky this morning.

Here's something more cheery to talk about: Greek pasta. Maybe not what you're craving on a cold winter day, but it'll bring a little sunshine into your kitchen. I promise. I'm a big fan of orzo- mini oblong noodles that somewhat resemble over-sized rice. This dish is simply a pasta version of traditional Greek salad. While any pasta could be used, I wouldn't trade the orzo for anything. They're soft, succulent, and adorable. They soak up the lemony-vinegar dressing and meld with the tangy feta to create a mouthful of Mediterranean magic. (I served the pasta alongside these Marinated Greek Chicken Skewers.)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat orzo pasta
12 oz. can/jar artichoke hearts, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 cup feta, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add artichoke hearts, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, olives, feta, and parsley. Toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with oregano and drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve. Add more oil and/or vinegar before serving, to taste, if necessary.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from All Recipes)