Lemony Orzo Salad-Yum!

I  found this recipe in Cooking Light and it was delicious. The only thing I would change is not add the full 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice, it was a little powerful and tart. It was a great summer salad, but I realized that we were missing a few key ingredients, which may have explained why the lemon was so powerful. We didn't have a red pepper or green onions. I also thought we had leftover grilled chicken from our BBQ on Sunday to add, but was surprised to find that it went missing....I mean was eaten. If you know me, you are probably laughing and thinking you are missing half of the ingredients, why would you even try to make this recipe. Then you'd remember how I work and know that I tend to just start a recipe and/or project and not check first to see if I have everything I need and end up running all over town to get my missing supplies/ingredients. To be honest, I was too lazy to run to the store to get what we were missing and don't think it changed the flavors of the recipe that much. :) 

This was a refreshing meal after a hot and humid day like yesterday. Give it a try, just make sure you have all the ingredients on hand first and do a taste test to see if you want to add the full 3 T of lemon juice so it has the perfect taste for you and isn't too bitter. Yum!

Ingredients

Recipe Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

• 3/4  cup  uncooked orzo
• 1/4  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1/4  teaspoon  honey
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  cup  shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/2  cup  diced English cucumber
• 1/2  cup  prechopped red bell pepper
• 1/3  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh dill
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl.
2. While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper), stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over orzo; toss to coat. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients (through dill); toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with cheese.