Roasted Shrimp and Orzo

This is not a soup but it is one of my favorite side dishes. I made some Saturday night for a pot-luck on Sunday afternoon for our fitness boot camp monthly recognition event. The recognition is an important part of the group dynamic of Brown's Boot Camp and one of the components making it special to me.

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa and Food Network. I saw her making this on one of her shows almost two years ago and have made it several times for potlucks and at home. I find the mixture of tastes very unusual and delicious. I love shrimp in any form so that sure helps. The first time I made it I did not know what Orzo was and looked for it on the rice aisle because the picture I found on the Internet showed what looked like rice. So you don't make the same mistake, I'll let you know that it is a pasta and that's where you'll find it. Here we go...

Some changes I made to the original recipe: 1) I used one pound of orzo not the 3/4 pound called for because the orzo comes in one pound packages and what are you going to do with a quarter pound of the stuff? 2) I always substitute cilantro for parsley in most recipes because I love the taste of cilantro. 3) When the final mixing is done be sure you limit your salt and pepper to your taste. The original recipe calls for 2 additional teaspoons of salt and 1 of pepper when doing the final mixing, this is a bit too much salt considering the shrimp and lemon mixture is already salted and the cheese also has some. If I think it's salty then it is really salty with the additional salt at the end.

INGREDIENTS

• Kosher salt
• Olive Oil
• 1 pound of orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons) note: I used a citrus squeezer I got at World Market, it makes the juicing much easier and only costs about $10. It is a 2 piece device with a bowl at the end of a handle and a matching piece that is hinged so you place a half of a lemon with the cut side down and you bring the top piece down and squeeze. It's a great tool.
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds (16-18 count) uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup of minced green onions, white and green parts
• 1 cup of chopped fresh dill (about 2 of the little packages they sell in produce with all the other fresh herbs)
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and medium diced (slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into fourths lengthwise and dice about 1/4 inch thick)
• 1/2 cup of red onion diced into small pieces
• 3/4 pound of crumbled feta cheese (the crumbled cheese usually comes in 6 ounce packages so you'll need two of them)

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

1. Fill a large pot with water, add one tablespoon of salt and a splash of olive oil. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the orzo and simmer 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente.
3. Drain and pour the orzo into an oversize large bowl (be sure to use the largest bowl you can so you can mix well without spilling over).
4. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
5. Pour the lemon mixture over the warm orzo and stir well.
6. While the orzo is cooking place the shrimp on a large sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Toss the shrimp on the pan by hand to mix the seasoning and spread out in a single layer.
8. Roast for 5-6 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through, BE SURE YOU DON'T OVERCOOK!!! Tough shrimp is terrible.
9. Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the green onions, dill, cilantro, cucumber, red onion, salt and pepper to taste VERY carefully.
10. Toss well.
11. Add the feta cheese and stir carefully so you don't mash up all the cheese.

Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend or refrigerate overnight.
If refrigerating be sure you bring the dish to room to room temperature before serving.