Grains Galore!

As we cleared out our pantry before our move, I had to get creative about what to do with the random grains hiding in there.  Or rather, the internet helped me figure out what to do, and this was one of the successful recipes.  Jonathan loved it, so that means it actually tastes good, as opposed to my thinking it tastes good because I know it's good for me.  This is from 101cookbooks.  It's amazing how the onions just disappear into a delicious background for the risotto; I had no idea that would happen.  You really only have to slice them.

Farro and Millet Risotto

3/4 cup / / 5 oz / 150 g uncooked millet
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup / 2 oz / 55 g unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
2 cups / 14 oz / 400 g semi-pearled farro
roughly 7 cups / 1.6 l good-tasting vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
2 big handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan 

It works best to cook the millet and farro separately here. Start by adding the millet to a small thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Toast it, stirring constantly, until the millet is golden and fragrant - just a few minutes. Add 1 3/4 cup / 475 ml water, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and a couple generous pinches of salt. Stir, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the grains are cooked and free of liquid. Taste, and if they need more time, cook for a few minutes more, then remove from heat, and leave covered for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and set aside.

In the meantime, get the farro started in a separate large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining oil, butter, onions and a big pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the farro and cook for a couple minutes before adding 2 cups of the broth. Cook, stirring, until the farro has absorbed most of the liquid before adding another cup. Keep adding stock in increments like this until the farro is cooked through - it takes some time. Once it's cooked, stir in half the millet. Add more broth if needed, the risotto should be loose. Decide whether or not you want to add the remaining millet - it's a personal preference really. The millet makes the risotto take on a more porridge-like texture. Now stir in most of the Parmesan. Taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add more broth if needed - again, you want the texture to be loose and creamy. A spoon should not be able to stand up straight in the risotto.

Serve hot, in bowls topped with the remaining Parmesan, and whatever else you like. In this instance I added some leftover roasted delicata squash {not pictured), a drizzle of curried brown butter, and chopped chives. But some toasted nut oil and chopped herbs might be a nice alternative, or even a swirl of harissa and toasted almonds....

Serves 6-8.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 30 min

Sarah's note: I roasted cubed butternut squash and put it on the risotto, and it was amazing.  I will definitely make it again.  

Israeli Couscous Salad

Well, it's certainly been awhile since I've posted any recipes on here. I blame pregnancy for all of it - mostly for making me want to eat food that doesn't really belong here. The past month or so, though, I've been feeling great, and back to eating good food (for the most part).

I threw this salad together and thought it was pretty successful. This one is fully spouse-approved - Alan loved it and wants to make it all the time now. You can of course try your own variations of what you want to put in. I just threw in whatever seemed to make sense. I'm sorry I don't have a picture... it got eaten too quickly.

Mostly this was inspired by me wanting to try out a new grain. Yes, we get pretty adventurous in our house. I love Israeli couscous - the only warning I'll give is that it really doesn't plump up much when you cook it, so unlike rice or quinoa you have to use more than you think you would need. If it's a small heap in the bottom of the pan, it will be barely larger small heap once it's done cooking.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups uncooked Israeli couscous
2 cups water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
2 T olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced toasted almonds
1 cup feta cheese
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped basil
olive oil
lemon juice
salt
*optional - 1 cup cooked quinoa

Saute the couscous in the olive oil until it gets toasted, then pour in the water or broth and let it simmer. Check it when all the liquid is absorbed - if it's not cooked through, pour on a little more and let it cook off. Once the couscous is cooked, pour it in a fine mesh colander and pour cold water over it until it's cool.

Combine it with all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. I use a good amount of lemon juice and salt. I like to add some quinoa in too if I have some just for the different texture.

Enjoy!