Orzo, Feta & Kalamata Salad

I want to pretend that I made this refreshing pasta salad myself on Sunday, but the truth is that I was hung over and sunburned from the previous day’s festivities at The Great Hot Dog Cook-Off. The thought of another hot dog, or for that matter anything actually hot, set my stomach churning. My roommate came to my rescue with this delicious Greek inspired pasta salad.

By the way, don’t confuse orzo’s fun shape for rice. It’s really pasta. The word orzo means barley in Italian. In the United States, though, it’s pasta. Are we clear, here? It’s shaped like rice and means barley, but it’s pasta. Ok. Moving on: this is a quick and easy salad that is infinitely variable. Use good kalamata olives and feta and throw in some veggies along with a basic vinaigrette. My roommate used roasted red peppers, red onions and spinach, but tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, fresh bell peppers or scallions would have been great, too.

Orzo, Feta & Kalamata Olive Salad
recipe by Kristine Goldy

1/2 lb orzo
1 cup kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 red onion, diced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Cook the orzo in salted boiling water until just tender, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Add olives, spinach, onion, red pepper, garlic and feta. Combine olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar separately, then toss all ingredients together. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Chill for an hour to blend the flavors.

The Great Hot Dog Cookoff Returns!!

Think you've seen all that a hot dog can be? Think again. The Great Hot Dog Cookoff at Kelso Brewing Company on July 23rd will showcase 24 amateur chefs serving up their most inventive versions of this iconic American treat. No dirty water dogs here - instead expect creative topping combinations inspired by ethnic cuisine like Korean or Caribbean, and unusual buns or no buns at all, like 2009's hot dog ravioli.

Early reports indicate that there will also be a lot of hot dogs arriving "in the style of" other foods. Not to give anything away, but we're talking inventions like "pizza dogs" - maybe the wiener is wrapped and grilled with pepperoni then served with marinara sauce and mozzarella on an Italian hero.  I just made that up, but doesn't sound bad, right? Expect much better, because the chefs this year are going to blow your mind with their hot dog masterpieces.

You'll need something to wash down all those hot dogs you're stuffing your face with and Kelso Beer Company will keep the suds flowing along with pop made on-site by P&H Soda using SodaStream. Try locally made condiments by My Friend's Mustard, Rick's Picks and more, and don't forget dessert: SoCo Creamery will be dishing out samples of their amazing ice cream.

George Duran, hot dog-lover and host of TLC's Ultimate Cake-Off, will MC the event, while DJ Rabbi Darkside spins sweet summertime tunes. Even in broad daylight, this annual cookoff has turned into a dance party by the end of the afternoon on several occasions, so bring your I-just-might-dance-even-though-I'm-totally-stuffed shoes.

Best of all, the event is a fundraiser for the Food Bank for New York City. Each ticket entitles the bearer to an afternoon of hot dogs and beer, great music and a chance to vote for their favorite in the Audience Award category. All proceeds from ticket sales after expenses go to the charity, so you can feel good about helping fight hunger while eating great food and drinking great beer!

Did I mention that Applegate Farms is sponsoring the hot dogs this year?! Amazing! They're organic and they taste great!

Tickets are going fast - grab 'em here: TICKETS

The Great Hot Dog Cookoff
July 23rd @ 2 pm
Kelso Beer Company
529 Waverly Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Grilled Chicken Legs - Cheap & Tasty

I have a produce problem. I know I'm not alone. I go overboard at the farmer's market or grocery store, buying more than I can eat before some of it goes bad. It looks so good, sitting there being all healthy and fresh. I want to take it home with me. There's always a plan for each handful of snap peas or pint of berries, but inevitably some lovely recipe doesn't get made and the innocent veggie ends up  in the trash.

In an attempt to control my produce habit, I steeled myself before entering Trader Joe's on my last trip and swore to leave with only my TJ standards - (frozen berries for morning smoothies, flax seeds/oil, unsweetened cranberry juice, stevia) and meat. I wasn't sure what was at home in the vegetable drawer, but I knew that to satisfy my urge to buy, I needed to point myself towards proteins.

I skipped the relatively expensive steaks and tenderloins and found a package of organic chicken legs. I know it's not the prettiest thing to look at, but the proof is on the label: 1.7 pounds of legs for $3.36! Plus, TJ's claims that these are free-range and raised without antibiotics.

Back at home, I decided to cook the chicken on my gas grill. I also have a charcoal grill, but for legs, the gas grill works really well because of the longer cooking time. I made up an easy spice paste and slathered it all over the legs and under the skin.

While the chicken cooked, I went to the vegetable drawer on a rescue mission. I found bibb lettuce, red pepper and scallions and put together a big side salad. Once the legs were charred to perfection, I sat down to a simple but satisfying weekday supper. The two legs I ate cost about $1.50 and the salad was money already spent that wasn't going to waste. (Maybe about another $2.50 worth of food.) Overall, a lot of flavor without breaking the bank and the satisfaction of using up some of my produce.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Legs with Spice Paste

For the spice paste:
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (add more if you like it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 - 2 pounds chicken legs with skin
Lemon wedges for serving

Preheat grill with all burners on.

Mix up all ingredients for spice paste and rub over chicken legs and under skin. Refrigerate until grill is ready.

Turn one side of grill off completely. Arrange legs on cooler side of grill and close the lid. Leave for 10-15 minutes, then turn each leg over. Close and cook for another 5 minutes. Move chicken to hot side and grill until nicely browned on all sides, about 4-5 more minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on the chicken while browning - move it out of flare-ups and keep turning frequently. Serve with lemon wedges and something green and fresh.