My Greek grandfather always had some ingenious way to deal with any problem you might have. Duct tape can fix anything wasn't just his motto, it was his way of life. Born to a Greek immigrant and grew up in South City St. Louis working at the family grocery store, Grandpa became a machinist and worked almost until the day he died. A man of few words but the ones he did say were very memorable.
I remember the story about how they were jealous of the new color TVs that had just come out. Ever the innovator, my grandfather decided to upgrade his just as good ole black and white TV with strips of colored cellophane. Blue at the top for the sky, orange in the middle for people's skin, and green at the bottom for grass. And no, I am not making this up! Another instance when my aunts were very young they were complaining about the muggy, hot St. Louis summer my grandpa said, "Girls! Just think cool thoughts." That saying became one of the family's running jokes even to this day and it was what I was thinking the other day when it was so hot and muggy here in Cleveland. I guess God was listening because he has blessed us with some cool days since then. With today's dish you wont need to think cool even if it was hot! (Again, I've been too lazy to get the camera out and too focused on eating. I'll try to do better next week :)
I remember the story about how they were jealous of the new color TVs that had just come out. Ever the innovator, my grandfather decided to upgrade his just as good ole black and white TV with strips of colored cellophane. Blue at the top for the sky, orange in the middle for people's skin, and green at the bottom for grass. And no, I am not making this up! Another instance when my aunts were very young they were complaining about the muggy, hot St. Louis summer my grandpa said, "Girls! Just think cool thoughts." That saying became one of the family's running jokes even to this day and it was what I was thinking the other day when it was so hot and muggy here in Cleveland. I guess God was listening because he has blessed us with some cool days since then. With today's dish you wont need to think cool even if it was hot! (Again, I've been too lazy to get the camera out and too focused on eating. I'll try to do better next week :)
Cool as a Cucumber Pesto Pasta
***Add celery for more crunch
1 C orzo pasta, cooked to al dente, optional
1 C shredded chicken
1 English or regular cucumber (Source: FFM)
1 lb flat romano green beans, blanched (Source: FFM)
1 C chickpeas
Basil pesto (Source: garden)
Olive oil
S&P
Cook your pasta to al dente if using, drain, coat with olive oil and set aside to cool. Poach or roast your chicken and shred- I used leftover roasted chicken that I had stored in the freezer for a time just like this! Blanch your green beans in salted water just until they have lost some of their bite and plunge into an ice bath or run under cold water to stop the cooking process. If you get heartburn from regular cucumbers like I do, remove the skin and seeds from the cucumber and slice into 1/4" thick half moons.
You can make your pesto or buy it- I wont tell. I processed fresh basil, garlic (3 cloves!), S&P, olive oil, a touch of lemon juice and pistachios in a food processor to make mine.
Toss orzo, veggies, chicken, and pesto together in a bowl. Top with crumbled feta cheese and S&P to taste.
***Add celery for more crunch
1 C orzo pasta, cooked to al dente, optional
1 C shredded chicken
1 English or regular cucumber (Source: FFM)
1 lb flat romano green beans, blanched (Source: FFM)
1 C chickpeas
Basil pesto (Source: garden)
Olive oil
S&P
Cook your pasta to al dente if using, drain, coat with olive oil and set aside to cool. Poach or roast your chicken and shred- I used leftover roasted chicken that I had stored in the freezer for a time just like this! Blanch your green beans in salted water just until they have lost some of their bite and plunge into an ice bath or run under cold water to stop the cooking process. If you get heartburn from regular cucumbers like I do, remove the skin and seeds from the cucumber and slice into 1/4" thick half moons.
You can make your pesto or buy it- I wont tell. I processed fresh basil, garlic (3 cloves!), S&P, olive oil, a touch of lemon juice and pistachios in a food processor to make mine.
Toss orzo, veggies, chicken, and pesto together in a bowl. Top with crumbled feta cheese and S&P to taste.