Opa!!

It was Greek night at my friend Lacey's tonight ... thanks to Allrecipe.com, this was no problem at all for me ... I went with the Orzo and Broccoli ... yummm-oooooo

• 1-1/4 cups uncooked orzo pasta
• 3-1/3 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon pitted Greek olives
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil [I didn't have fresh basil. I used a couple teaspoons of dry basil - worked just fine]
• 2 tablespoons and 1-1/2 teaspoons toasted slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes [I didn't have red pepper flakes. I used about a tablespoon of marinated roasted red peppers that were in with some marinated olives --- hey, I wasn't LEAVING the house AGAIN! :) worked just fine]
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. In a large saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water for 7 minutes [I added salt to my boiling water per the instructions on the orzo container. thinking back I'm not sure I needed to do that]. Add broccoli and cook 2-3 minutes longer or until pasta is tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olives, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil.
2. In a small nonstick skillet, saute almonds in oil for about 1 minute. Stir in red pepper flakes and pepper; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Stir in olive mixture; toss to coat.

Like I said YUUMMMMOOOO ... have some friends over and make it a night with My Big Fat Greek Wedding!!  Love that movie!  DO NOT try it with My Life In Ruins ... rented that this week ... I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes!! ... I really do need a Netflix account ...

OH! and I ran my 8K!! in under an hour! WOOOOHOOOO!!  Works for me ... the only person I need to beat is myself  ... and even that is negotiable ;)