last night i decided i needed to actually make something for my brown bags this week at lunch.  i don’t mind eating out, but it gets old quickly when you have a limited window for it.

i rummaged through my recipe box, looking particularly for something that i hadn’t yet tried.  a few soups looked tasty, but i need it to be slightly cooler before i get those brewing.  i came upon this recipe for greek salad with orzo and black eyed-peas, clearly ripped out of the pages of an old real simple magazine from years ago.  although i didn’t have mine fashioned in these stylish and hip mason jars, my tupperware containers suited them just fine.  enjoy!

ingredients

3/4 cup orzo

1 (15-oz.) can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed

1 large tomato, diced

2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

*i could only find italian parsley at disco kroger and it worked just fine

2 Tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise, cored, & diced (1 cup)

*disco kroger also does not have seedless cucumbers, so a regular cucumber would just have to do

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, slivered

*i have a strong distaste towards olives, so i left these out

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon finely chopped oregano

*i found a whole Tablespoon to be way too much – i’d suggest cutting it down to half a Tablespoon

2-3 cups coarsely chopped romaine

1/2 pound feta, crumbled (1 cup)

4 to 8 pepperoncini

directions

cook orzo according to package instructions.  drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water until cool.  drain well.

toss black-eyed peas, tomato, and parsley with vinegar, 1 Tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  marinate, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

meanwhile, toss together orzo, remaining oil, cucumber, olives, onion, lemon zest and juice, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

divide black-eyed pea mixture (with juices) among jars and layer orzo salad, romaine, and feta on top.  add 1 or 2 pepperoncini to each jar.

*note:  assembled jars can be chilled up to eight hours and serve four.  enjoy at room temperature with pita chips.

**kelsey’s note:  i assembled my tupperware this morning before work and had it as a salad for lunch.