Orzo with Cranberries

Last week Bart and I went grocery shopping for a bit. While Alyssa was home, she went through my magazines and found a recipe that looked good for dinner. We didn’t have all the ingredients called for, however, so she substituted a few things (orzo for couscous and dried cranberries for golden raisins). Her substitutions were wonderful! She invented a whole new dish that we all loved! Following is how Alyssa made the recipe. (By the way, she had the food ready to eat, garnished beautifully, and arranged in our fancy pasta bowl by the time we got home.)

2 cups orzo
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Cinnamon (a pinch—about 1/8 teaspoon)
1 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons water
Sliced almonds (about a handful)
Chopped fresh parsley (about a handful)
Salt and pepper

Cook 2 cups orzo as directed on the package--drain when done. Sauté one diced onion in olive oil with a pinch of cinnamon until golden, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup dried cranberries and 2 tablespoons water and cook 2 minutes; toss with the orzo and add a handful each of sliced almonds and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.