Week 3, orzo and peas

This week I had friends over so I didn't take many pictures as I was trying to cook fast and cleanup at the same time. The post is also a week delayed.

I know one of my friends who were coming don't like very exotic food so I tried to pick recipes with known flavors. This week's salad was the "Fancy Coleslaw" (pg. 8), with a side of "Peas with Sorrel and Mustard" (pg. 70) and "Baked Orzo with Mozzarella and Oregano" as the main dish. As usual, a few adjustments and replacements were made (some by mistake this time).

Starting with the salad. I forgot to buy the cabbage and this is just the main ingredient of the coleslaw. Luckily, I had a fresh romaine at home and use that instead. I know the flavors are different but the texture and color is pretty much the same. Since there were so many strong flavors in this salad, I would say it didn't make that much of a difference. I also didn't use bell pepper, as I said before, I can't digest it so I avoid eating it as much as possible. This salad takes spiced cashews that are delicious. Mixed with the Dijon, honey, yogurt dressing that wasn't really a chance to miss the cabbage. That salad is really good and has really strong flavors. However, everyone agreed that the tarragon could be removed as it adds a very perfumy flavor that just don't go well with the other flavors.

The peas were the easiest recipe from the book so far. Ok, I didn't prepare the sorrel, I never head about this ingredient before and didn't find it anywhere. I actually got spinach as a replacement but decided not to use it in the end. I love peas but I never get to eat it as my husband hates it and I found out that one of my friend also didn't like it. Well, I was very surprised that this was everyone's favorite dish. The recipe takes a stir fry of green onions and mustard seeds with a Greek yogurt dressing with mustard powder and dijon mustard (I removed the mustard powder). That recipe will be included in my everyday side dish as it's so easy, delicious and the only fresh ingredient required are the green onions.

Finally, the orzo. Orzo is a type of pasta shaped like rice. I had it before but never cooked it before. The recipe is a stir fry with many vegetables that goes to the oven with the orzo, mozzarella, fresh herbs and tomato slices with parmesan on top. It's delicious and one of those recipes that can't go wrong (as any pasta dish). Everybody liked it but there wasn't anything surprising about it, it was mostly pasta with vegetables.

And that's the final plate (no, I didn't really work on the presentation):