I really enjoy cooking and eating nuts and grains. And I especially like this vegetarian dish as a way to satisfy meat lovers because it’s substantive and really tasty. I prefer it warm, but you can also serve it cold as a salad. I call it “Jazzy” because it invites improvisation–you can get creative with all sorts of additions or alternatives to the ingredients below, such as sun-dried tomatoes, figs, walnuts, flaxseed, grapes, quinoa, spinach, and sweet corn–you get the idea!
This recipe is from Big Ed from Texas.
Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable stock and 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 cup farro
½ cup Israeli / pearl couscous
½ cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 celery stalks, cut on ½ inch diagonals
3 cups kale (I recommend Tuscan kale), torn in pieces, stems removed
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly-sliced
2 garlic cloves diced
8-10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Serves 4-6
Directions:
- Combine stock, bouillon, 1 tablespoon salt and farro in a pot, bring to a low boil, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally. When tender but still crunchy, remove and drain. Set aside to cool.
- Combine 2 cups of water, couscous and 1 teaspoon of salt, bring to boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat pine nuts in a dry skillet, stirring frequently until golden. Be careful not to burn them.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, combine celery and onion. Stir and cook until onion and celery are tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the kale, ½ of the tomatoes, and garlic.
- When kale is tender (about 5 minutes), remove from heat. In a serving bowl, combine all ingredients with farro and couscous. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
