Tag Archives: grains

Farro and Barley Salad with Spinach and Artichoke Hearts

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You know when you have almost enough of a grain or a pasta to make a recipe? Well, I didn’t have enough farro, so, I used barely (not pearled barley like one would find in soups) because I figured, ‘why not?’ They actually have similar cooking times so it all worked out. Also, lately I’m a huge fan of frozen spinach. You know, the solid green block enclosed in plastic? I love spinach but can’t be bothered to wash all the dirt out of fresh spinach and one bunch is disappointing because it cooks down so much. For this recipe you could kick it up by using jarred artichoke hearts but I used canned. I also added some toasted pecans for crunch. This came together pretty quickly and I have leftovers. So, win-win!

  • 1 C farro-barely mixture
  • 1 veg bouillon cube
  • 1 pkg. frozen spinach, nuked
  • 1/2 C chopped toasted pecans
  • Almost a full can of artichoke hearts, chopped
  • A spot of canola oil (or, if you used jarred artichoke hearts, use that oil as it’s seasoned!)

Directions

Cook the farro-barley with the bouillon cube. (The good thing about cooking these grains is you add them together with the water at the same time–no waiting for the water to boil!).

Add the cooked spinach, chopped artichokes and a little bit of oil to a large bowl. Separate the spinach with a fork because it’s going to be in large clumps.

Add the cooked grains to the bowl, mix together and then add the toasted pecans. Adjust seasonings according to your taste. I also added a dash of basil and a little bit of salt and black pepper. I think this salad would also work with a dash of fresh lemon juice and either vegan or real feta cheese too. It can be served hot or cold.

This will serve 4 as a side dish, or even as a main. Enjoy!

Also, I realize that the salad looks like it’s a floating mass. It’s not, it was in a bowl and I failed to capture the edges of the bowl. I need to get better at photography!

Quinoa-Bulghur, Black Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Avocado & Spinach

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As I was typing the headline for this post, I realized, “Damn, I’ve been eating a lot of black beans and tomatoes….” Sorry for the redundancy, but I’ve finally eaten my weight in summer tomatoes. (YAY!) I will surely miss them and think of them fondly when it’s December and I’m eating my fair share of roasted root vegetables and trying to not eat those gross, mealy, tasteless out-of-season tomatoes offered at my local grocery store.

ANYway…

This salad made a perfect meal and will pack up nicely when I take it to work for my lunches this week. It’s pretty adaptable. If you have limes and cilantro on hand, then by all means add some juice, zest and herbs. Yellow or red peppers or even jalapenos would add a nice crunch too. I used Pedon brand quick cooking (10 min) quinoa/bulghur, but if you have one or the other, that works just fine too.

  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed, drained
  • 1 package of quinoa & bulghur mix, cooked, drained
  • 2-3 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 2TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 TB white balsamic vinegar

Cook the grains according to package directions. Set aside to cool a bit. Mix the black beans, tomato, avocado, oil and vinegar and add some salt and pepper. Let that sit for a few minutes so the salt brings out the water from the tomatoes. Add the quinoa to the vegetables and toss. I also added crushed red pepper flakes and a dash of chili powder in lieu of jalapenos. Enjoy!

Flax Seed Crackers

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I don’t have any gluten intolerances or issues, but I do enjoy some gluten-free foods and from time to time it’s nice to switch it up a bit. Most recently it’s been boxes of Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free crackers (herb or plain, thank you). I think I’m addicted to them and I wonder if there is crack in them. (I’m kidding!) I figured this was something I could possibly make so I looked up recipes online and found one and tweaked it a bit. This recipe has endless possibilities too. Rather than just use whole flax seeds, next time I will have to grind half of them up. I think I would also use more brown rice and perhaps some barley or sesame seeds too. You could probably use any grain or maybe even nuts too. Maybe also add a little Bragg’s Amino Acid, or possibly go the sweet route and add cinnamon and a wee bit of sugar and omit the olive oil. Anyway, as I said, the following recipe is pretty adaptable to one’s palate.

  • 1/2 c. flax seeds
  • 1/3 c. water
  • 1/2 c. quinoa (or 1/4 c. quinoa and 1/4 c. brown rice as I did)
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 TB extra virgin olive oil (or canola, or you can omit oil)
  • 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, thyme
  • Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Soak the flax seeds in the water for about 15 minutes. If you want more savory crackers, omit the salt and add a dash or two of Bragg’s or gluten free tamari sauce).

Put the quinoa and brown rice in a food processor and grind up until it’s about flour consistency. (Note: Here is where a coffee/spice grinder might be better as I found my Kitchen Aid didn’t do such a good job…which I found surprising).

In a small bowl, add the ground quinoa/brown rice to the flax seeds and then add salt, evoo, and whatever dried herbs you wish. Stir until combined.

Using a small spatula, flatten on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Now, this will take a little time and effort to spread the dough around. I found it to be easier if I used my spatula and spread from the center of the dough, toward the edges. I also realized after baking that my crackers could be a tad bit thinner.

Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them too. Then flip over and bake for maybe another 5 minutes. Don’t let them get too brown, or else they’ll taste burnt (yuck).

Cool and break into pieces. Store in airtight container.