Short Rib Farrotto with Carrots and Parsnips

I like Farro. Chris likes Short Ribs. Perfect recipe. And how! Time intensive? Yes. But it was a rainy day so lets just say I got a lot of cooking done. This recipe is from Food & Wine. I had a $20 coupon for Robert's Food Center (Thank you Maureen!) Yesterday I did my shopping and there will be meat showing up alot.

The dinner, while not a quick fix, was a meal that is very filling. Spoiler alert- We will be having this again tomorrow night!

Of course I left out the garlic but the broth was something special. I had beef broth in the freezer for the last time I made short ribs. When I took it out of the freezer to thaw I knew this would be good!

Short Rib Farrotto with Carrots and Parsnips from Food & Wine-

Ingredients-
1 quart low-sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds well-trimmed boneless grass-fed beef short ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Fine sea salt
Pepper
2 thyme sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 cipollini onions (3/4 pound), peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large parsnip, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) unpearled farro
1 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving


Method-
In a medium saucepan, combine the beef broth with 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
   
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Add half of the short ribs to the casserole, spreading the pieces out, and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a plate. Repeat with the remaining short ribs.
   
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the casserole. Add the thyme sprigs, garlic, onions, carrot and parsnip and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the farro and the browned short ribs. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, stirring and scraping the bottom of the casserole, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the warm broth, cover partially and cook over moderately low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Repeat this process twice, adding 1 cup of warm broth each time and cooking for about 15 minutes between additions, stirring occasionally.
   
Increase the heat to high. Add the remaining 1 cup of warm broth, 1/2 cup at a time and stirring constantly, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. Cook the farrotto until creamy and the farro is al dente, about 5 minutes longer. Remove the casserole from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the butter, chopped thyme and the 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano. Season the farrotto with salt and pepper and serve hot, passing additional Parmigiano at the table.

The farrotto can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Gently reheat, adding broth or water as necessary.

And today I had an observer....

Farro Soup With Chorizo

Tonight we had the other half of the Chorizo sausage. Farro Soup With Chorizo. We have had this soup before and loved it. The recipe is from RealSimple.com. We have enough for tomorrow night's dinner too. Really looking forward to that already!

Ingredients-
1 tablespoon olive oil
8ounces Spanish chorizo (cured sausage) or kielbasa, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1tablespoon tomato paste
4cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2cup farro
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped 


Method-
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the carrots, onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the broth, farro, and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the farro is just tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas, chard, sausage, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Simmer until the chard is tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

As a side I had a loaf of Pizza di Scarola in the freezer. Oh this is heaven!!! 

Peppers Stuffed with Farro and Smoked Cheese

I found this recipe, Peppers Stuffed with Farro and Smoked Cheese, on the NY Times Cooking site. It if from Martha Rose Shulman. She has an article entitled Just Add Farro. Or what my husband might call No More Farro Please! There is another recipe for Ratatouille with Farro which I can not wait to try. Sorry Chris!

Peppers Stuffed with Farro and Smoked Cheese

Ingredients-
2 cups cooked farro or spelt
3 ounces smoked cheese, such as smoked gouda, cut in very small dice
¼ cup chopped walnuts (1.5 ounces)
½ pound fresh, ripe tomatoes, grated (I used a can of diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, and additional for sprinkling
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 medium-size or smallish bell peppers, any color (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
½ cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Method-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an oven-proof, lidded casserole or Dutch oven large enough to accommodate all of the peppers. In a large bowl, mix farro, cheese, walnuts, tomatoes and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut tops away from peppers and gently remove seeds and membranes. Season the insides with a little salt, then fill with farro mix. Sprinkle a little paprika over the top and replace tops of peppers. Place upright in the casserole.

Mix water, lemon juice, salt to taste, tomato paste and olive oil and pour into the casserole. Cover, place in the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until peppers are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly in the casserole. Remove tops and spoon liquid from the casserole over the filling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Farro, Chickpeas and Greens

Tonight we had grilled chicken breasts which were marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, fresh thyme and rosemary. To go along with the chicken I made Farro, Chickpeas and Greens. I found the recipe on Better Homes and Gardens. For the greens I used the radish greens from the radishes used in Saturday night's recipe. I also picked up some baby beets and used those greens too. Delicious combination. The dressing was my favorite, olive oil and lemon juice.

From Better Homes and Gardens, Farro, Chickpeas and Greens

Ingredients-
1 cup uncooked farro
1 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 cups loosely packed fresh hearty greens (such as mustard or kale), coarsely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Method-
Cook farro according to package directions. Place the chickpeas in a colander. Drain the farro over the chickpeas and run under cold water to cool farro quickly and rinse the beans. Drain well.
In a large bowl combine the farro mixture with the greens, tomatoes, oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Top with cheese. Season to taste.

Farro, Chickpea and Chestnut Soup

If you to read something mouthwatering you need to visit Ciao Chow Linda's post Some Enchanted Evening. I was delighted when I saw the recipe for Farro, Chickpea and Chestnut Soup. I love when I have everything in the house for a recipe. This soup was delicious. Perfect after last week's meat filled menu.

A Weekend Wrap Up

Yes we had dinner this week.  We actually had some very good dinners this week. Just could not find the time to post so here we go...

Monday, September 17

French Onion Grilled Cheese

Yes you read that correctly! I found this recipe on TasteSpotting. Caramelized onions. Actually Wine Braised Onions. It tasted like a bowl of soup! So comforting.


So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
I am not cooking tonight.

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

No Post!  : (

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

No Post!  : (

Tuesday, September 18

Farro Soup With Chorizo

First let me say, "Happy Anniversary Stephen and Ann!"
Farro Soup with Chorizo. This was from Real Simple. I do love that site for easy but very good recipes. Today it was stormy out so the soup hit the spot. And best part is there was enough for another meal so we have soup in the freezer!


So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

Jalapeno Popper Dip followed by Sole Meuniere

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Chicken and Thyme

Wednesday, September 19

Pork Meatballs

     

What? Pork Meatballs! Oh wait... first HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEIDI! Okay back to dinner. I found this in a Tasting Table newsletter. Something completely different. Who would have thought to have meatballs without sauce! We had it with the grainy mustard the recipe recommends. Loved this. The spiciness of the paprika and the crushed red pepper. Really nice.


So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Baked Macaroni

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Quinoa with Ground Meat and Soy Sauce

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

 

Thursday, September 20

Chicken Pot Pie

Happy Anniversary Carlo and Tara!
And it is the time of year that we can start eating meals like Chicken Pot Pie. First off I cheated. I was rushed and I had to make a quick Pot Pie. I felt bad but what could I do? Yes I used Cream of Potato soup. Sigh. I did not have time to make the roux and the thought of the pans was something I was not ready to jump into. The result was a damn good pot pie. LOL! Of course the crust was perfect, that is the best part. But the next pot pie will be truly homemade... I promise.


So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Butternut Squash Soup

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?
Pasta with White Sausage and Greens

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Roasted Chicken Purses

Wanted - Fresh Fig Recipes! And Warm Farro with Lentils, Caramelized Onions, and Feta

Warm Farro with French Lentils, Caramelized Onions, and Feta. I found this recipe by doing a google search for Farro recipes. It brought me to Orangette. Talk about a good blog to hang out reading on a Sunday afternoon!

I think this was a hit. We both went back for seconds. But honestly anything with caramelized onions is always a hit.

Hey I am looking for fig recipes. Anyone out there have a fig newton recipe made with fresh figs?


So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

Another Amazing Meal at My Sister's House 

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

County Style Ribs, Cous Cous and The 4 Egg Cake

Grilled Italian Ham and Cheese with Farro Salad

This was not your normal Grilled Ham and Cheese. This one started with a recipe from Cookstr, Grilled Italian Ham and Cheese. It is from the Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stovetop, Grill and Sandwich Maker Cookbook. I have not bought a cookbook in a while but this is one I would like to see.
The ingredients were Pancetta, Fontina Cheese, and Sauteed Leeks. I thought if it is called Grilled Italian Ham and Cheese why not add some Prosciutto too. Really glad I did. Chris gave this sandwich two thumbs up.

And the side dish was Farro Salad. Simple ingredients, basically using up stuff in the refrigerator. Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, Scallions and Parsley. The dressing was 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, Salt and Pepper. And this also received two thumbs up. Not bad for a Monday.

Everyone ready for Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef? Summer television at it's best!

Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel & Acorn Squash Farro Risotto

I have been wanting to make the Acorn Squash Farro Risotto for some time now.
Today I happened to have all the ingredients in the house. Of course I thought that it would not be enough to have just that for dinner. So I also made the Chicken Schnitzel.
The Acorn Squash Farro Risotto was more time intensive, about and hour, so the Chicken Schnitzel was a perfect recipe. It took only 15 minutes. And I used one half of a chicken breast so the amount was just enough.
Now back to the Acorn Squash Farro Risotto. I cut the recipe in half... except for the farro. Making only one squash, the recipe calls for two, I should have used half the amount of farro. We ended up sharing one of the acorn squash halves, they are very filling.  We loved the nutty flavor of the farro. And I have enough for a couple of lunches... unless we have it tomorrow night!

And it snowed today! First snow storm since October. When it snows I have to bake bread. I do not know why but I just do. I tried a new recipe today. English Muffin Toasting Bread. I found this on the King Arthur Flour site. Mine did not rise as much as the bread in the photo on the King Arthur site but I loved the taste. It tastes like an English Muffin!

On a different note... Are there any knitters or crocheters out there. Well I found this very cool site. Biscuits and Jam. There is a Stripe Generator! You pick out your colors and the number of rows you want and it shows you what your striped pattern will look like. Very cool.