Orzo Salad is Best Served Cold. Like Revenge.

While our grilled London broil was quite tasty with a side of LeBron revenge, we also enjoyed it with a cold orzo salad.  My mother-in-law makes a very delicious orzo salad, and she served as my inspiration when I whipped this up over the weekend.

Orzo is Italian for barley.  Also known as risoni (big rice), it is a form of pasta in the shape of a grain of rice.  I like orzo because it is a versatile pasta that can be served hot or cold, with a sauce, in a soup, casserole, pilaf, or salad, like I mentioned.  While it was originally made from barley, orzo is now made with durum semolina wheat, as especially hard variety of wheat.   Pasta made with durum wheat is more resilient through the cooking process, and won't easily become mushy, even after being baked or simmered in broth.  I used a plain variety of orzo, but you can also find varieties colored or flavored with vegetables, like spinach.

I don't think I tasted orzo until adulthood.  It wasn't unfamiliar to me, but I just cannot recall ever eating it until my twenties.  Too bad for me.

I encourage you not to wait too long before trying it out for yourself.

Orzo Salad
Serves plenty

1 lb dried orzo (plain or flavored will work)
1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced black olives
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil
4 - 8 oz feta cheese (depending on your preference)

Cook orzo according to package directions.  Drain and mix with chopped veggies and herbs.

Whisk together lemon juice, salt and pepper, dried oregano, and olive oil to create dressing.  Drizzle it over pasta and vegetables and lightly mix.

Add feta cheese and lightly mix.

LeBron Fire

In a time of unsettled loyalties and disappointments, one desires the known, the solid, the dependable.  One desires firecrackers.

I know I should not be surprised by the selfish and narcissistic behavior of someone who refers to himself as King James, but yet I was.  The way in which LeBron James announced that he would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers was just unbelievable to me.  He didn't thank the fans, he didn't seem to realize the hurt he was causing.  He just spoke of himself in the third person and made it clear he didn't want the pressure of being a team leader.

I have only recently become a Cavaliers fan and was upset, but my husband and his family and friends in Cleveland felt completely betrayed and were understandably angry.  We decided that something cathartic must be done for them to find relief and satisfaction.  The solution: a bonfire of LeBron James paraphernalia.

As our idea took shape, though, it became so much more.  Oh, so much more...We turned "hey, let's throw some LeBron jerseys into our outdoor firepit and drink beer as we watch them burn" into..."Let's commit LeBenedict Arnold to a firing squad of Roman candles and other incendiary devices while we eat grilled London Broil and homemade ice cream and drink beer."  Yeah, baby...

We started by aiming the Roman candles at his jersey until it was in smoldering shreds...

Then, we moved to pure flame without the flash...

Still had some emotion to express, though...

As you might imagine this became quite the neighborhood spectacle.  If I thought folks were interested in seeing my husband get charged by a small brown poodle...I mean, they were standing in the alley, lining up in their back yards, and leaning out upper floor windows to watch the crazy white folk set fire to LeBron stuff.  Of course, the Roman candles and camera flashes might have had something to do with it...

To get the bitter taste out of our mouths, my husband marinated and grilled a london broil.

Grilled London Broil
Serves 8

4 lb london broil beef
1 white onion, sliced
1/2 cup A1 sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
salt and pepper, to taste

Between 6 and 24 hours before dinner, place beef in a (non-reactive) glass dish and cover with sliced onion.

Combine A1 sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup.  Pour over top of beef and onions.

Cover and refrigerate between 6 and 24 hours.

Grill over medium heat for about 15 minutes for medium rare meat.

Let sit for another 15 minutes, then slice and serve with a side of revenge.