Saturday, January 21, 2012

Farro with Broccoli and Shitakes



Easy, delicious and adapted from a very aptly named blog:Umami Girl.  Husband Jeff (he of the chicken parmesan and all things red checker table clothey persuasion) was not at all enthused when told that this was going to be dinner the other night.  So he only took a small amount and was ready to ditch it for the leftover thai noodles in the fridge.  But lo and behold.  He took seconds.  And THAT is how a dish makes it to this blog.  Please make it and if you feel the need to protien-ify it up with seared tofu or leftover animal parts, go for it! 

Farro with Broccoli and Shiitakes

-serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side dish-


Ingredients

1 cup whole farro
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
15 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets (reserve the stems for another use)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the farro in a medium pot with cold water to cover by an inch. Soak for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, drain the soaking water and add fresh water to cover the farro by two inches. Add the salt. Bring the farro to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook for about 25 minutes, until the farro is tender but still chewy. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the mushrooms have reduced substantially in volume, about 7 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to prevent the onion and garlic from browning. Add the broccoli florets, soy sauce and water to the pan. Cover and simmer until the broccoli is quite tender, 3-5 minutes more. (Cook the broccoli only as much as you like it cooked. I prefer this dish with a bit of crunch.) Remove the lid and cook one minute more to reduce any remaining liquid to just a few tablespoons.

3. Off the heat, add the drained farro and the parmesan cheese to the pan. Stir well and season to taste with pepper. Serve warm.

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