Farro First Timer

So you could say I've been into the quinoa foodie fad-- one plank of the "ancient grain" craze.  Quinoa is delicious, nutritious, and versatile  what can I say.  I'm troubled by all the articles talking about how demand for this seed (it's not a grain actually) by rich Americans has caused the price to rise, making this Bolivian staple out of reach now for regular Bolivians.  The politics of food is a complicated thing.  I'll leave it to actual experts to write about that.

But anyways, to Farro, the "original" grain.  Apparently American foodies have recently discovered it and Italians have rediscovered it and it's now appearing on menus (and blogs and all over the inter-web) like crazy.  So earlier this winter I bought a bag of it and then forgot about it until this weekend, when I was unloading groceries and noticed it in the cupboard... so I moved the bag to the counter where it sat until tonight.

So, this grain is delicious.  It's wheaty tasting, slightly nutty with an awesome chewy texture.  I was eating it plain out of the pot.  It would be great warm with just some butter or olive oil and salt.  But I wanted to turn it into a one pot meal for myself, with leftovers for lunches.  Here's my creation that turned out quite good but warning: this dish is NOT pretty.

Creamy Greens Farro
Makes about three main dish servings.

1 cup of farro

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion
2 large cloves of garlic
1 stalk of broccoli, chopped
1 can of great northern beans
Handful of spinach
About a half cup of tomatoes (I used a handful of grape tomatoes)
Salt & fresh pepper
Vegetable stock or water
Soy sauce
Lemon juice

This is really easy to make-- the only trick is you first need to soak the farro.  Cover it with cold water and soak for 20-30 minutes.  Then drain, cover again with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  You can cook it longer if you like it softer, but I found this amount of cooking perfect.

While the farro is cooking, saute the onions in the olive oil.  Once they begin to soften add the garlic and broccoli and saute for several minutes.  Once the onions are browning and the broccoli is bright green add the beans, spinach and tomatoes, a generous portion of pepper and some salt, and enough vegetable stock to deglaze the pan (about a 1/2 cup).  Turn the heat up, stir the mixture so that the spinach wilts and everything is heated through.  Then turn the heat off and put the contents of the pan into the blender or food processor.  Add a splash of soy sauce and lemon juice and blend until creamy.  Taste for seasonings and add any additional salt or pepper.

Combine the cooked farro and creamy greens together in a bowl.  Serve this stew-like dish in small bowls.  This is filling as it is very high fiber and high protein.  Perfect for a winter night.

First Post: Sunday in the Kitchen

Cooking is one of my favorite extracurricular activities.  It's a very concrete, tangible activity, and makes for a healthy, happy life.  Cooking has become my creative outlet in my adulthood and I enjoy cooking for friends and family, it's an enjoyable gift to give.  It's fun to search the internet for inspiration, recipes, and ideas.  Often I'm searching for spice and flavor combinations, ideas on using the last two ingredients in the cupboard, and inspiration when I'm lacking motivation to cook.

Some of my friends and family think that cooking healthy and vegetarian is an impossible, burdensome task that is out of reach, or they just don't comprehend how one could survive on vegetables alone.  That, combined with my gratitude for all the blog and online cooking magazine recipes I've read through the years, I thought-- if everyone is doing it then why can't I?  And then, I got a Vitamix blender for Christmas, which has brought me to a new level in the kitchen--  there's nothing like a fancy power tool to supercharge your creativity. So on a dark, cold night in February, I'm going to give it a stab!

Last Sunday was my moment of inspiration for the blog.  I made a lot of different food based solely on my creativity and what we had in the kitchen and everything was really successful-- and my family (including 15 month old foster baby) agreed and showed it by drinking/eating like crazy, which is always the best reward.  So I thought I'd start by sharing my meals and recipes from yesterday.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Strawberries

Two adult servings plus one for a little person.

1 cup steel cut oats

2 cups of unsweetened almond milk

1 cup water

Flax seeds

Lots of fresh strawberries, diced

Maple syrup, honey or brown sugar

Combine the oats, water and milk, bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer for about 15 minutes, add strawberries and flax and cook for 5-10 minutes more.  Stir in sweetener to taste and serve.  

Orange, Apple, Ginger Juice

Two servings

5 naval oranges, peeled & halved

1 small apple, cored & in chunks

Slice of ginger

1 cup water

Blend in Vitamix.  Serve immediately.

Smoothie Snack: Kale & Fruit

Two servings.  This tastes really good.  The baby drank hers up in one giant, prolonged suck.  

1 cup fresh strawberries, stems pulled off

1/2 frozen or fresh banana

2 large kale leaves, stems removed

1 kiwi, peeled & in chunks

1 orange, peeled & halved

1/2-1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (such as So Delicious)

Flax seeds

Blend in Vitamix.  Serve immediately.

Lunch: Easy Speedy Vitamix Soup For One

This was my super-fast lunch for myself.  Normally I saute and cook my soups before blending but when you're rushed it's possible to make a tasty soup from raw ingredients right in the Vitamix.

A few slices of onion

1 clove of garlic, skin removed

Large handful of cleaned spinach

2 carrots, peeled & in chunks

1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk (such as So Delicious)

Small handful raw cashews

A few drops of Tabasco

Salt & pepper to taste

Blend in Vitamix for several minutes until steaming hot.  Serve immediately.  

Dinner: Quinoa Pinto Bean Vegetable Casserole

Makes 6-7 large portions.  Made this for family dinner with a simple side salad and then had enough leftovers for 4 lunches!  This dish is hearty, filling, tasty and full of protein and fiber.  You can make it as spicy as you like.  I imagine sour cream, salsa, avocado and/or guacamole would make good toppings, but we just had it as-is and we loved it.

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

Vegetable bouillon cube

Large head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces & microwaved for 2 mins

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large portobello mushroom, diced, or similar portion of small mushrooms

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 can diced tomatoes

3/4 cup salsa

Hot sauce (I used Tabasco)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare quinoa: put all ingredients into pot, bring to boil, lower heat to a slow simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.  Once the quinoa is done, pour into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, microwave (or steam) broccoli so that it still has a crunch but has begun to cook.  Saute the onion in a little olive oil.  Add garlic and mushrooms once onions have begun to brown.  Add salt, pepper and cumin.  Saute until mushrooms soften.  Add beans, cooked broccoli,  tomatoes, and salsa.  Stir and bring mixture to boil.  Lower heat and let simmer for a few minutes.  Add hot sauce to taste.  

Pour the bean and vegetable saute into the bowl with the quinoa.  Add the egg and stir the mixture well so that everything is incorporated.  Spread evenly into an 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 baking pan.  Sprinkle the cheese across the top.  Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the cheese just barely is starting to brown.  Let the pan cool for a few minutes before scooping out the servings.

Easy Coconut (Vegan) Ice Cream 

This and the quinoa-- both totally made up by me-- were my final two dishes that convinced me I was ready to start the blog.  The rum and three kinds of sweetener give this ice cream a nutty, complex flavor.  The rum and cornstarch give the ice cream a nice consistency and ensures that it freezes correctly.  

1 can of coconut milk (full fat version!)

About 1 cup boxed unsweetened coconut milk (such as So Delicious)

1 date, pitted & chopped

About 3 tablespoons maple syrup

About 2 tablespoons sugar

Small handful of ice cubes

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 teaspoons dark rum (other kinds of booze work too)

Large handful unsweetened coconut flakes

Put all the ingredients except for the coconut flakes into the blender and blend at high speed until smooth.  Taste the liquid-- add additional sweetener (syrup and/or sugar) if needed.  (Remember that when it freezes it will taste less sweet.)  Blend again for a few seconds.  Add in the coconut flakes and blend BRIEFLY at medium speed-- this will chop these into fine, small bits that add nice bites to your ice cream.

Pour this very cold mixture immediately the ice cream maker and follow the instructions.

I didn't sweeten mine a lot and then used a little bit of maple syrup as a topping, which was really fantastic.