Grains | Simple By Cindy

I am always perusing through recipes to find a healthy one. Farro is a food composed of grains and wheats. It has a hardy taste and satisfying texture.

I have become a huge farro fan.

There are several different varieties of farro. Look for the “semi-pearled” kind. I find it to be the most flavorful.

Farro can be combined with an assortment of foods like roasted fruits or vegetables. You can throw them into a pot of vegetable soup to give it a rich, hearty flavor. It is nutritious, adds a little fiber to your diet and takes little time to cook.

This recipe is courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. All of her recipes are dependable, and this was delicious! You can use it as a side dish, salad or make it for brunch! Just make it! You will not be disappointed and maybe you will become a big farro fan like me!

Ingredients for Farro Salad

4 cups water
10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
5 tomatoes on the vine, seeded and chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chives
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 large garlic clove (or two small), minced
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup of good extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the water and the farro in a medium saucepan. Add 2 tsp. of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. SET YOUR TIMER!

Once farro is done, drain and transfer to large bowl to cool.

Add the tomatoes, onion, chives and parsley to the farro and toss to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil. add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat.

The salad can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

It’s that simple!

I must have at least one hundred cookbooks. Not kidding.

Many years ago my friend Beth bought me a cookbook, Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman. I made some of the recipes and so many of them were so wonderful that I became addicted to cookbooks.

I am not a good baker at all. I would rather cook a meal than bake, but when you have a great cookbook or recipe it doesn’t matter…it just works.

I highlight the recipes that I might want to make in the future with colored tabs. In upcoming posts, I hope to share many of the recipes I love and know to be successful and delicious.

Many of my go-to recipes belong to my mother and good friends, but most of them come from my sister-in-law, Shelley.

Shelley and I share a passion for cooking and making holidays that bring the family together. We cook with love and our passion for entertaining is evident in the dishes we prepare. She has been an inspiration for me in so many ways and I look forward to sharing more of her dishes with you! This barley recipe comes from Shelley and is an easy to prepare, family favorite.

Ingredients for the Skirt Steak
I like to cook with kosher meat, but I will confess that in a pinch I will go to the butcher in my grocery store and buy my meat there.

For this recipe, I like to use what my butcher calls a “California cut”. It is thick and well-marbled and always comes out juicy and delicious. You can use a skirt steak from your grocery butcher too, as it works just as well. Just be careful about how long you cook them, because cooking time depends on the meat’s thickness.

Buy one skirt steak for each person you are serving.

You can make the marinade the night before or that morning.

Ingredients for the Marinade
½ cup beef broth
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup worcheschire sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 sprigs oregano or 2 tsp. dried
2 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp. dried
7 cloves garlic, smashed (you do not have to peel them)
2 tbsp Kosher salt
1 tsp pepper

Ingredients for the meat (My Essence)
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all these ingredients together.

Take the meat out of the marinade. Place on broiler pan or in aluminum pan.

Turn oven to Broil.

Sprinkle both sides liberally with onion, garlic, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper mixture.

Place in oven.

Set timer for 5 minutes.

Turn meat over and set timer for 5 more minutes or until medium rare (the thickness of the meat will determine how much longer you need to cook). Set your timer for 2 minute increments until it has reached your desired preference.

You will set timer for 7 or 8 minutes each side for medium well meat.

Ingredients for the Barley
1 package toasted barley
2 packages Knorr’s French Onion Soup Mix

1 package fresh mushrooms or 1 can mushrooms (You can leave the mushrooms out if your family does not like them– the barley will still be terrific!)
1 stick margarine

Heat oven to 375.

Make the barley according to the directions on the bag minus 2 minutes. Do not salt the water.

Melt butter in microwave for 20 seconds.

Mix the french onion soup mix, mushrooms and melted butter in pot or baking dish that can go in the oven. You can add the mushrooms to this mixture if you are using them.

When barley is ready, drain and mix it in with the other ingredients.

Place in oven for 15 minutes uncovered.

Set your timer!

After 15 minutes, turn oven down to to 350 and cover the barley.

Cook for 20 more minutes. (remember to reset your timer!)

It’s that simple! Hope you enjoy! Thank you Simone!

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Skirt Steak and Shelley’s Barley