My Chef's Hat - Farro Salad with Asparagus & Feta
I've been trying to eat more grains and beans lately. Not all the time, but a couple times a week. You can never really have too much fiber. Well, I guess you could, but it would take a whole lot... lots more than I would ever eat in a day. But even though the grains and beans are good for you, by themselves there's not a whole lot of flavor. They need help to taste good. Chick peas are one of my favorite beans, and I probably eat those more than any other. Grains are another story. Most of them are so mealy and chewy, and I'm just not a big fan of that. I'm trying hard to get past it though. I've done it with quinoa, and am working on it with farro. Until about 9 months ago I didn't even know what farro was. But then one day we were having lunch at Karsten Creek golf course, and their lunch special was a dish made with it. I had them bring me a small taste... and to my surprise, I really liked it. It was still chewy, but the dish had really good flavor. So I bought some and looked for recipes on Pinterest.
A recipe that I've made a couple of times but am just now getting around to posting is Farro Salad with Asparagus and Feta.
Here is the official picture
And here is my version
I really enjoy this dish. Even though there's tons of fiber from the farro, asparagus and chick peas, its still a very light dish. I cook the farro in veggie broth, same as quinoa, to infuse it with more flavor. I also toast it first to bring out the nuttiness. I've toasted it both with and without the butter, and I use Smart Balance spread to keep it lighter. I've always kept it vegetarian, but I think grilled chicken would be a nice addition.
The recipe calls for the farro to be cooled after cooking. But since I make this for lunch, I don't have time to wait for that. It also says to steam the asparagus. But instead I sauté it in a small pan. Adds more flavor and color.
The only drawback to this dish is its very savory and earthy, so about 15 minutes later I'm ready for something sweet.
Recipe found on Burp!
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