Saturday, October 24, 2015

Farro and Poached Egg Breakfast Bowl

"Quinoa's Cousin"

Hi all! I've been a fan of farro for a while but I've never tried cooking it in my own kitchen until this month. Farro is a grain that is often compared to quinoa because it has the same protein content: 7g per serving. I love both grains, but farro contains a tad more calcium and fiber than quinoa and tastes a bit tougher and brown rice-like, so I totally urge you all to try it! I've bought it as a cold salad before, and when I had it, I think it was mixed with dried cranberries, nuts, veggies, and a vinaigrette (YUM)! But I wanted to try make hot farro and top it with veggies and eggs to create a mouthwatering breakfast bowl. I see breakfast bowls all over Pinterest lately. It seems like people are getting bored of eggs and toast, and this is an awesome way to switch up one's morning meal routine. It's SO easy, too...especially if you cook the farro ahead of time and store it in your fridge! One more pointer--my boyfriend, John, taught me to use a frying pan to poach eggs rather than a pot and it really keeps the egg more "together"!

Farro and Poached Egg Breakfast Bowl
-2 eggs
-1.5 cups farro (I say this amount because it will conveniently last you about a week in your fridge)
-frozen or fresh veggies of your choice 
-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-EVOO, salt, and pepper to taste

1. Rinse farro and place in a medium-sized pot. Add 4 cups of water and carefully bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat all the way down to a simmer, cover, and cook for another 25 minutes or until the farro is slightly tough (tip: think al dente pasta). If there is still extra water in the pot at the end, pour out or strain.
2. Fill a frying pan with water and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (this helps keep the egg cohesive, too). Bring to a boil and crack both eggs into the water. Cook for about 5 minutes and try to keep the eggs as "together" as possible with a large wooden spoon. 
3. Cook veggies according to package if frozen, or slice and bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes with some extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper at 375F if fresh (flip veggies halfway through). I used spinach in this picture but I've also cubed and baked a sweet potato for this recipe and it was delish!
4. Place farro in a bowl and top with veggies, eggs, some EVOO, salt, and pepper and VOILA! You have yourself a yummy, healthy, breakfast bowl!

Happy eating! :)


Thursday, October 1, 2015

Pumpkin Chana Masala (Pumpkin Curried Chick Peas)

"Ditch the Pumpkin Spice Latte"

Hello friends and happy October! As much as I love a good Pumpkin Spice Latte, I want to be more creative with how I consume and cook with pumpkin this fall. Excitingly, I found a recipe on Pinterest, and changed it up quite a bit to be my own, for Pumpkin Chana Masala. What is Chana Masala you ask? It simply means Indian chick pea curry. If you have yet to make any one of my thirty blog recipes in your own kitchen, it's okay...I won't be sad...AS LONG AS you try out this one! This is by far the yummiest dish I have ever created in my 22 years of living and it is so simple. Use a crock pot and don't forget the curry!

Pumpkin Chana Masala
-2 15 oz. cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained
-1 medium yellow onion, diced
-2 gloves garlic, minced
-2-3 cups organic vegetable broth (add the third cup after a few hours of cooking if the mixture seems too thick for your liking)
-1 cup green lentils, rinsed
-1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
-1 tbsp curry
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
-1 tsp salt 
-1 15 oz. can coconut milk (look for this is in the international foods section of a grocery store)
-1 cup rice (or more if you'd like), cooked according to the instructions of the package (I used a whole grain rice/quinoa blend)
-fresh lime wedges (optional)
-fresh cilantro (optional but recommended!)

1. Add all ingredients except the coconut milk, rice, lime, and cilantro to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours, stirring every so often.
2. At the end of 5 hours, add the coconut milk, stir, and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
3. Serve hot over rice, with a lime wedge and cilantro, and then go jump in a pile of leaves to feel even more fall! :)

This recipe should feed 4 hungry people. Happy fall (and vegan) eating!!!