Lemon Orzo with Broccoli Florets

It's been a busy  week and I must admit, I was glad for the weekend to come.  

I have never missed a deadline and I was not intending to start now. So when the deadline was met with an hour to spare, I called it a day, but I did not feel guilty about it as it had already been a longer working day, and week for me.

This Lemon Orzo with Broccoli was made early this week for lunch in between work and I am glad for days, when lunch is prepped and ready to go.   The citrus piquancy that had infused the orzo and the  broccoli was appreciated by D as he does like lemons.  There's also a little sweetness from the sundried tomatoes and a scattering of toasted pumpkin seeds. If you do make these, only toss in the pumpkin seeds when your ready to serve, otherwise they will get damp and lose their crunch.  

I am sharing this Lemon Orzo with Broccoli recipe with Soup, Salad and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen. 

Lemon Orzo with Broccoli

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

Grated zest of 2 lemons

100ml fresh lemon juice

2 small onions or shallots, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

50ml olive oil

250g broccoli florets, steams until tender

250g orzo, cooked and drained

8 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and cut into strips

Optional: 30g pumpkin seeds, tasted in oven gas mark 4 for 5 minutes. 

Remove and set aside

Method

Whisk the lemon, olive oil, shallots and salt and pepper in a large bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.  

Allow to sit for an hour before serving. 

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Then serve - scattering over optional toasted pumpkin seeds. 

Adapted from Entertaining Vegetarians Celia Brooks