Orzo Caprese Salad

It's officially summer! School is out and the temperature is high. The grill is in action and we're enjoying some dinners on the deck again. We hosted another Father's Day cookout this year where I test drove this side dish. I knew I wanted to make a caprese pasta salad with pasta. A quick Google for dressing ideas led me to Savory Simple. We also had orzo on hand so I decided to use this recipe. I think this might become a cookout staple. It was light, tasty, and easy to prepare.

You will need:
*2 cups uncooked orzo
*3 tablespoons olive oil
*1 tablespoon agave nectar
*1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
*1 cup tomatoes of your choice, halved or quartered
*1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
*2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
*salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook orzo according to package instructions.

2. Whisk olive oil, agave, and lemon juice in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked orzo and toss to coat.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Refrigerate until serving. 

Hummus and Veggie Pizza

This pizza started as a Pinterest discovery. It sounded different and I thought we might like it. Do you ever make a meal and then become obsessed with it? Well that happened here. We've made this pizza a few more times and both Dave and I enjoy it. It also reheats well for lunch the next day. This is perfect for a busy night. I would have never thought of putting hummus onto pizza before seeing this on Just a Taste. I can't wait to experiment with other toppings. Although at the moment this combination seems perfect!

You will need:
*whole wheat pizza dough, room temperature
*roasted garlic hummus (we love Sabra)
*baby spinach, torn
*
red bell pepper, sliced thin
*small white onion, sliced
*cheddar cheese, shredded
(I did not put any measurements because we usually just eyeball it. If you're looking for guidance, you want about 1 cup of spinach and cheese, then about a 1/2 cup of pepper and onion)

1. Preheat the oven to 475.

2. Stretch the dough onto a pizza stone. Spread the hummus over the dough leaving about 1/2 inch for the crust. (I like to lightly spread some olive oil on the crust) Place the torn spinach leaves, red pepper, and onion on top of the hummus. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

3. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.