Thinking up new, healthy, creative dinners sometimes poses a challenge. Â Last night I stood in the pantry door, looked around, went to the refrigerator to see what I already had available. Â Although the vegetable combination is not unusual for me, I decided to use farro instead of pasta or rice. Â Farro, a staple in ancient Rome, Â has been called “the mother of all wheat”. I buy pearled, organic farro. It is chewy, a good source of fiber, and high in protein. Â I do not follow the directions on the bag. Here is how I cook farro for two servings:
1 cup farro
3 cups water
1 Tsp. Better Than Bouillon
Avocado oil
Cover the bottom of a sauce pan with the oil, pour in the farro. Â Turn heat on high, constantly stirring, saute the farro in the oil for a couple of minutes, then pour in the water. Â Add the bouillon and stir thoroughly. Â Turn the heat down but keep the farro boiling. Â Do not cover. Â Stir at regular intervals. Â Do not let it go dry. Â It should take about 1/2 hour for the farro to become tender. Â Test and if needed, add more water. Â Cook until the water is absorbed and farro is tender.
Last night’s vegetable sauce:
Cover the bottom of a pan with olive oil. Â Add five cloves garlic, coarsely chopped and one medium sized beet, cut into medium sized pieces. Â Saute until tender. Â Add five to six sliced Brussels sprouts. Â When Brussels sprouts are partially cooked, add one large poblano pepper, coarsely chopped, seeds removed. Â Saute until pepper is tender but still bright green. Last night I used berbere, an Ethiopian spice, to jazz up the sauce. Â Sometimes I use basil or other Italian spices. Â I vary the vegetables, sometimes using sliced carrots, broccoli, kale. Â Be creative. Â Use vegetables you like. Â If you want something non vegetarian, add chopped chicken or cod loins.

Above is a photo of the cooked vegetables ready to serve.

The vegetables served over the farro. Â If you are not vegan, you can grate asiago or parmesan cheese over the top.
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