Orzo Salad

Yield: 6 servings (though, I've found it more than plentiful for crowds of 10+ as a side)

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis

www.foodnetwork.com

4 cups of chicken broth (I use the reduced sodium, store bought broth)

1 ½ cups orzo

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes (I've used the grape tomatoes solely)

¾ cup finely chopped red onion

½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

About ¾ cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely. (I find placing the orzo in a large bowl and stirring frequently speeds the cooling process.)

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

(tip: also very tasty as a marinade for grilled chicken)

½ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons of honey

2 teaspoons of salt (I've found 2 teaspoons to be a lot, so I use reduce this to just 1 teaspoon-easier to add more than to take away)

¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender (I use my food processor). With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired. Yield 1 ¾ cup