Recipe ReDux- Another Grain

It’s that time again!  Recipe ReDux is here.  I feel like the days have been passing by so quickly.  When I looked at my calendar the other day, I realized…I better get cooking!  This month’s challenge is a whole new grain.  For previous challenges, visit my Recipe ReDux page.

I love experimenting with new ingredients in the kitchen, so this challenge couldn’t have worked out better.  I got to thinking of a grain that I’ve never tried.  Farro came to mind.  I’d been introduced to farro when my fav chef, Giada, had a recipe in her cookbook using said grain.  If Giada uses it, so can I!

After doing a bit of research, (thank you, wikipedia) I discovered that farro is actually considered a pasta and is primarily grown in Northern Italy.   The stat aren’t too shabby either.  Per cup farro has 200 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber. 

My dish is a spin on a favorite of mine; mushroom risotto.  I decided to use the key ingredients that make up the classic dish and came up with cheesy mushroom farro.

Being the bad cook I am, I sort of eyeballed the ingredients.    So the recipe is a rough idea of what I used.  Feel free to switch things around.  I also think more veggies or chicken in this dish would be excellent.

Cheesy Mushroom Farro (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup farro
• ½ cup vegetable broth (split into 2 servings)
• 1 cup mushrooms
• ¼ cup parmesan
• 1 teaspoon mozzarella cheese (for topping)

Directions:

To cook farro:

For 1 cup farro, add about 2 and 1/2 cups salted water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. 

Reduce the heat and simmer the grain with a closed lid for another 15-30 minutes until tender. (although the package said to soak 8 hours, I found a site that said it was ok to cook without soaking).

While farro is cooking, add half of the vegetable broth to a pan and set heat to medium/high.  Add mushrooms.

Cook mushrooms until they are slightly browned and softened.

Add the remaining broth to pan and add in cooked farro.  Stir to combine.  Let cook until all the broth is absorbed, approximately 3-5 minutes.

Add in parmesan cheese and stir to combine. 

This dish definitely reminds me of mushroom risotto in my opinion. 

The saltiness of the parmesan + the chewiness of the farro = perfection!

Farro has a nutty flavor, similar to a wheatberry or even quinoa.  It has a very subtle flavor, which would make it the perfect substitute for other grains.

Delicious!

Have you ever tried farro?  What is your favorite grain?

Tagged as: cheesy mushroom farro, farro, grain, recipe redux, vegetarian