Shrimp and Broccoli Orzo

Here is the recipe that Wanda requested.  It's a very simple recipe that I started making when I was actually trying to lose weight (which I should probably start again...)  It comes from: Weight Watchers Take-Out Tonight! : 150+ Restaurant Favorites to Make at Home--All 8 POINTS or Less.  They call it Pesto Shrimp & Orzo Salad.  Since I change things around (and am randomly out of ingredients like pesto and shrimp today) we tailored it to our tastes..

Shrimp & Broccoli Orzo (Makes 4 good size portions)

• About 1 cup Orzo
• 1/2 lb Shrimp or Chicken
• 1-2 small heads of Broccoli (I chop up the stems too)
• 1/3 - 1/2 c of Mayo (fat-free if you're being healthy could probably sub for yogurt or something simliar as well)
• 1/2 TB dried basil (or 1 TB fresh if you have it around)
• 1 TB olive oil (If you have pesto around - use that instead of basil/olive oil)
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• Dash of crushed red pepper (optional)

Cook orzo.  When there is a few minutes left, I throw the broccoli in with the orzo so they can cook together.  Drain and reserve 1/3 c of the cooking water.  Cut chicken/shrimp into bite size pieces and then sautee in a pan.

Stir together the rest of the ingredients along with the cooking water.  Add in the orzo, broccoli, and chicken/shrimp and stir so everything is coated.  Sometimes I throw in pine nuts (to make up for the lack of pesto) or additional vegetables if I want it to be a bit different.  The other night I threw in some toasted walnuts for a bit of crunch.

We like it warmed but not too hot.  I do tend to like it peppery too so I'm generous on that end.  It's also good as leftovers and served cold.