farro pilaf

as i stated in this post i was supposed to have had started a diet beginning August 1st. by Aug 3rd i was gulping down a red velvet latte and inhaling a malasada dog, so clearly i'm not very good at the whole diet thing. the trick is finding tasty, filling foods that are also good for you. people think carrots and celery sticks are the way to go but both of those things suck. and chewing lettuce is basically the same as sawing my own arm off, so i'd prefer to avoid the pain of eating leafy water. enter grains, dressed up. farro is really good for you and it's super filling as well.  i found this recipe for farro pilaf and followed it for the most part, except i added extra garlic, lemon zest and mint. it turned out really well and was super flavorful with a bit of a kick!

farro pilaf

ingredients:

- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

- 1 large shallow, finely chopped

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 1/2 c farro

- 2 1/4 c chicken stock

- 1 tsp salt, or to taste

- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

- 1/2 sliced almonds

- zest of 1 lemon

- 1/4 c fresh mint leaves, chopped 

directions:

1. heat 1 tbs oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.

2. add shallot and garlic and cook until shallot is translucent

3. add farro and stir to coat

4. add chicken stock, salt, pepper and cayenne.

5. bring to a boil 

6. reduce to low, cover and let simmer for approx 25 minutes or until farro is tender and liquid is soaked

7. in the meantime, toast almonds in a 350 degree F oven for approx 5 minutes and allow to cool

8. when farro is cooked take off heat and fluff with a fork

9. transfer farro to a bowl

10. add almonds, lemon zest and mint. stir to combine.

11. serve warm