Farro broccoli bowl with lemony tahini

I enjoy the taste and texture of farro, and am working to build up a collection of recipes that use it. After my success with the ramen bowl, this recipe for a farro bowl caught my eye. With the inclusion of a soft-boiled egg as well as the vegetables and sauce, this makes a very satisfying and delicious vegetarian meal. The method of cooking the eggs along with the farro was simple and efficient (using just one pot).

FARRO BROCCOLI BOWL WITH LEMONY TAHINI

adapted from

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019878-farro-broccoli-bowl-with-lemony-tahini

4 servings, about 440 calories per serving

FOR THE GRAIN BOWL:

1 ½ cups farro, rinsed and drained (NB The holes in my colander are too big for this)

4 large eggs

1 large head broccoli, cut into florets, tender stems sliced (about 1-1/4 pounds or a little more)

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 t soy sauce, plus more for serving

2 T toasted sesame oil

1 T sesame seeds

Thinly sliced radishes or Hakurei turnips (I've also substituted radishes, red pepper, carrots and/or celery)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Hot sauce or thinly sliced green chiles, for serving (optional)

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 ½ T. fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving

1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

3 T tahini

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Spray some olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Start bringing a medium pot of water to a boil. (The farro will be drained after it's cooked, so you don't need a precise measure of water.)
3. While the water comes to a boil, CUT THE BROCCOLI into florets and slice the stems. Put in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and soy sauce. Spread the broccoli out into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. 
4. Slice the RADISHES AND SCALLIONS, and set aside in small bowls.
5. When the pot of water has come to a boil, add farro and then the eggs. Set two timers: 
1. EGGS: Set a timer for 6 or 7 minutes for the eggs--6 minutes for very runny centers and 7 minutes for medium-runny.
2. FARRO: Set for 15 minutes now, to mark when broccoli is to go in the oven. Then set for another 15 minutes to finish the farro.
6. Get ready A BOWL OF ICE WATER for cooling the eggs. When the eggs are done,  use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to the bowl of ice water. Leave them in the ice water for at least a few minutes. Peel the eggs being served at this meal; if saving half for another meal, leave those eggs unpeeled and put them in the fridge.
7. When the farro has cooked for 15 minutes, PUT THE BROCCOLI IN THE OVEN.  
8. Continue to cook the farro cook until done, about 30 minutes. Drain the farro, and then toss with 5-6 tablespoons of the tahini dressing.
9. The broccoli roasts for about 15 minutes, until there some charred spots. Remove from oven, and toss with SESAME OIL and SESAME SEEDS. 
10. While the farro and broccoli are cooking, PREPARE THE DRESSING: In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and garlic. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk in olive oil, a little bit at a time, until emulsified. Whisk in tahini and set aside. 

To serve:

• Divide FARRO across 4 serving bowls and drizzle with REMAINING DRESSING

• Top with RADISHES/turnips/other crunchy veggies, and sprinkle with some LEMON JUICE

• Add BROCCOLI, EGG (cut in half), and sliced SCALLIONS.

• Serve immediately, with soy sauce, hot sauce, and/or sliced chiles on the side, if you like.

Eggs with sautéed greens and mushrooms

I really enjoy having eggs for dinner every once in a while. I recently bought more kale than I needed for a soup I was making, so I looked in my files for an egg dish I vaguely remembered.  Here it is—definitely fits in the comfort food category. Served with a salad or a light soup, this is a very satisfying dinner. I think next time, I'll try it with a can of Campbell's tomato and rice soup. . .

EGGS WITH sautéEd greens AND MUSHROOMS

adapted from https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/eggs_nested_in_sauteed_chard_and_mushrooms/

serves 2

2 T. olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound fresh chard or kale

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (small portabellos are nice)

freshly ground pepper

4 eggs (can substitute eggwhites for some of the eggs)

Put the chopped onions and the sliced mushrooms in a large bowl.

If using chard: cut out the center ribs of the chard leaves. Chop the ribs into 1/2-inch pieces and place in the bowl with onions and mushrooms. Cut the remaining chard leaves crosswise into 1" ribbons, and set aside.

If using kale, discard the ribs and chop the leaves into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and chard ribs (if using), toss to coat in oil, and cook for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the chard or kale leaves to the pan and mix all together. Sprinkle with pepper (and salt if desired). Cook until the leaves are wilted and ready to eat.

While the greens are cooking, fry the eggs in a separate pan, however you like them.  You can also cook the eggs right on top of the greens (covering the pan), but David likes runny yolks and I like them cooked all the way through, so it's easier to get them just how we like them by using a separate pan.

Put the greens mixture on a plate and top with two eggs for each person.

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Sometimes a combination of ingredients turns into a dish that seems more delicious than you would expect, and this is one of those recipes. It's just lentils and sweet potatoes, with a little well-chosen seasoning. The fresh ginger is key.  The toppings of scallions and yogurt also provide additional flavor and texture. But the bottom line is, this is a wonderful vegetarian dish, and easy to put together.

I would also recommend the cookbook I got this recipe from--I have enjoyed everything I've made from it. You can get a used copy for a very reasonable price on Amazon.

LENTIL SHEPHERD'S PIE

adapted from Good Housekeeping, Vegetarian Meals

makes 4-5 servings

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed

1 T. grated, peeled fresh ginger

1 t. ground cumin

1 can (14-1/2 oz) vegetable broth (1-3/4 cups)

1 bay leaf

2 cups water (divided 1-1/4 c. and 3/4 c.)

1 T. olive oil

1 t. curry powder

1/8 t. crushed red pepper

2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and cut into 1" pieces

4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

plain yogurt

In a medium saucepan, combine lentils, ginger, cumin, broth, bay leaf, and 1-1/4 cups water. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Discard bay leaf and drain off almost all of the liquid. Put the lentils into a large pie-plate (10") or other shallow serving dish.

While the lentils are cooking, put the oil in a large saucepan (3-quart), and heat over medium heat. Add curry powder and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, 15 seconds. Add sweet potatoes and 3/4 cup water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, reserving the liquid. Mash the potatoes, adding enough liquid to get a smooth texture. Spoon the mashed sweet potatoes over the lentils. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with plain yogurt.

One-quarter of the recipe (without yogurt) = about 410 calories