Farro Risotto
I can't think of a better way to welcome Spring than with a healthy dish full of flavor, spring vegetables and color. Farro is an ancient whole grain which is naturally fiber-rich full of protein and a good source of iron. It's a sweet, nutty grain that will remain chewy when fully cooked. This along with it's slow starch releasing properties, make it an ideal candidate for risotto.
One serving of Farro will provide an individual with two hundred calories, seven grams of fiber and seven grams of protein with ten percent of the recommended daily allowance of iron. Now, add some flavorful low sodium stock, vegetables and shredded good quality Parmesan cheese, and you've got yourself a wonderful dinner.
Farro can be soaked for quicker cooking. Without soaking the grain it will take twenty-five to thirty minutes to cook. With an overnight soak, you can cook it in as little as ten to 15 minutes. I don't usually soak Farro, before cooking. You can also just soak it for thirty minutes to shave off a little bit of time. I like to achieve a good toast on the grain, so I like to keep it dry. The ratio of Farro to liquid is 1:2.5-3. Other ways, you will see Farro commonly used, is in salads and soups.
Below, I will show you my favorite Risotto recipe. However, feel free to substitute however you see fit. I personally like this combination. I feel the sherry adds to the sweet nuttiness of the grain. While the tomato paste lends a slight richness, and acidity with a brilliant color from the San Marzano tomatoes. I chose early spring vegetables, however, feel free to change. It's your dinner. I use vegetable broth with this recipe due to the use of the tomatoes and mushrooms. As for cheese, any good quality hard Italian cheese will work just fine. Parmesan will lend creaminess without overpowering the finished dish. Finally, I splash the finished dish with a squeeze of lemon to awake all the flavors.
Once you get the hang of this, it can become a healthy weeknight meatless dinner. It can be made rather quickly.
Ingredients
for four servings
1 cup of Farro, unsoaked
2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth, heated
1-1/2 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 shallot, minced
1 yellow or red pepper, diced
1/2 cup of petite peas, defrosted
6-8 shiitake mushroom caps sliced lengthwise, and halved
1 stalk of celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled, and diced
1/4 cup of sherry
1/2 cup of good quality Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
optional: balsamic drizzle
Directions
Combine oil, butter, shallot, tomato paste in a large saucepan on medium heat. Saute for three minutes. Now, add diced carrots, sliced celery, diced pepper. Saute for another five minutes, then add your shiitake mushrooms, with a little salt and pepper. Don't stir. Let your mushrooms brown. Hold back on the peas until the end to retain that nice green color. While sauteing warm your liquids up.
Stir in farro to toast for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add sherry and reduce till the pan is almost dry. Now begin to add about three quarters of a cup at a time. Stir frequently, but not constantly. When almost dry add another three quarters of a cup and so on, until the grain is al dente, twenty to twenty-five minutes.
When done, you will remove pan from heat with a some liquid remaining, because it will continue to cook and therefore thicken. Stir in you cheese by the handful. Taste for seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste, it might be all you need. A balsamic drizzle is a wonderful garnish for this. Now, sit back and take in the "oohs" and "aahs".
