Fall and Farro Fagioli

I love everything about fall.  I love when it starts to get a little darker earlier.  I love when the temperatures drop so you can wear a sweatshirt comfortably and the mosquitos are no longer are a problem.  I love the foods that are associated when talking about fall: apples, root vegetables, soups, warm delicious comfort dishes!  I even love racking the leaves once a year, notice how I said "once," after that it's maybe not so much a "love" anymore.

This week it turned fall officially and the temps started to reflect the fall time coming around.  This can only mean one thing at our house, soup time!  Now even though I love all sorts of soups and love the heavy comfort dishes at times, I went with a lighter yet filling soup, Farro Fagioli.  

I'm sure you've heard of Pasta Fagioli soup, which means "pasta and beans."  It's a popular soup at Olive Garden that people love, that is typically made with pasta, beans, veggies, chicken broth and sometimes with meat.  I felt that even though it is now officially fall and I'm getting just as excited for sweater season and getting my "sweater figure" ready, I think you can still have a hearty healthy dish that is filling, and even (gasp) Vegetarian.

Look at that delicious bowl of healthy amazing soup right there!  Sorry, I didn't mean to throw the healthy card out there for all those people that think healthy = "no taste, boring, bland."  I don't want to scare those people away.  Please stay with me!!!

First we start with some Farro.  What?!?!?!  What did you just say? Are you talking crazy talk right now?  No I'm not crazy, this delicious grain has been around for a LONG time and is part of the ancient grains that give you great bang for your buck.  It has more fiber than rice or quinoa, and also it is reasonably high in protein for a grain, along with all the wonderful vitamins and minerals that it contains.  You can find it in your health food section in most grocery stores.  It tastes similar to barley, so if for some reason you can't find it, just use barley.  It will still be delicious. 

First we start off by cooking the farro.  Add the water, salt and farro in a medium saucepan and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer until farro is tender, about 25 minutes.





This is what it looks like when it's done.  Yes, it's kind of foamy and frothy on the top of the pan but don't worry, it tastes delicious.





So why you are waiting for your farro to cook, you can dice up your onions, carrots, celery, and minced garlic and throw that with the olive oil in a medium/ large stock pot.  You are going to sauté that for about 4-5 minutes until it is fragrant and onions are translucent.





You will want to open your can of beans, and rinse them before putting them in your soup.





Once the veggies are nice and fragrant you are ready to add in the rest of the ingredients.  Add in the beans, diced tomatoes, veggie stock, spices, and extra water.





Stir it all around and bring to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes until veggies are fork tender.





After that discard the bay leaves,



Add in the cooked farro, and taste.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 





As you can see there's not a ton of extra liquid in the soup, so if you would like more, add more water/ vegetable broth to your liking.  I enjoy more of the stew type soup.





And just like that you have dinner ready.  Pair it will a sandwich, salad, or some fruit and you've got a complete meal. 

Farro Fagioli:

1 c. farro

2 c. water

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 c. white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 celery stalk, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 15oz. can cannellini beans

15 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 large bay leaves

1 Tbsp. basil, dried

1 tsp. thyme leaves, dried

1 tsp. oregano leaves, dried

32 oz. can of vegetable broth

2 cups water

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan add the farro, water, and salt and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce to medium low heat, and simmer until farro is tender, about 25 minutes.  Set aside.  In a deep stock pot, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery with the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant and onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes.  Add beans, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, vegetable broth and 2 cups of water to stock pot and bring to a slow boil.  Let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaves, and discard.  Add in cooked farro, take off heat and stir.  Add up to 1 cup of water/ vegetable broth if you need more liquid.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

-Cool

Have You Celebrated Family Meals Month?

Are family meals a lost art? In our world today, with fast-paced lives, busy work schedules and extracurricular activities, drive-thru meals and takeout food have become the norm. What impact does this have on our kids, our families and ourselves? As the trend moves toward simplicity and convenience, let’s not overlook the fact that preparing and eating meals together stimulates communication, creates memories and establishes healthy eating behaviors that have a long-lasting impact.

 

Research shows that when families eat meals together on a regular basis, they have greater unity and closer relationships. Children in families who eat together are better adjusted to the pressures of society. These children are more comfortable and confident in their own skin. The long-term nutritional benefits for individuals who have grown up eating family meals are clear too. The percentage of family members who are overweight, or abuse alcohol or drugs, is significantly lower in families who eat meals together on a regular basis than those who don’t.

 

Historically, traditional family meals were part of an everyday ritual, like brushing teeth. Homemade meals were prepared from scratch, dinner was served at the same time every night, and family members had assigned seats. Lessons and wisdom were shared over the dinner table.  Children grew in their character, learning manners, self-discipline and gratitude.

 

When schedules are busy, and time is at a premium, there is still hope for the family meal. September is National Family Meals Month, which means it’s the perfect time to start making family meals a normal occurrence in your home. Here are a few tips on how to do it and some delicious pictures of the perfect family meal to make this month:

• Pick one or two days a week for everyone to commit to.
• Pick a recipe and side dishes the family can agree on. Choose foods from all food groups, and foods that vary in color, taste and texture, to increase nutritional benefit.
• Choose a recipe that allows for convenience. Slow-cooker meals, casseroles and grilled meats are all good ideas. Check out all Hy-Vee has to offer for fast, easy and healthy meals and try Cool's Mushroom Pizza Recipe below.
• Plan for conversation starters. For example, have everyone go around the table and say one thing they are grateful for, or share an interesting story from their day.
• Keep everyone in touch by turning the television off and having a “no phones at the dinner table” policy.

Cool's Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms:  Serves 4

All You Need:

4 portabella mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ c. Italian or Balsamic Dressing                                

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

½ lb. Italian Sausage                                                

½ c. Marinara

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil                                                                               

1/3 c. Parmesan, shredded

½ c. Zucchini, diced                                                                        

½ c. Mozzarella, shredded

½ c. Green Peppers, diced

All You Do:

1. Coat the mushrooms in dressing, and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large skillet over medium high heat cook sausage for 3 minutes.  Add in the olive oil, zucchini, green peppers, garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook until meat is thoroughly cooked about 7 minutes.  Drain meat, and add in marinara and parmesan cheese.  Stuff each mushroom with ½ c. of meat mixture and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes. 
3. Take the mushrooms out and top with the mozzarella cheese and place back in the oven to melt about 10-15 minutes. 
    

~Crazy

Football Flashback: Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you live in Iowa you know that today starts the interstate rival college football week, ending with the Iowa vs Iowa State game on Saturday at Kinnick stadium.  Even if you don't live in Iowa or are even a football lover, I'm sure you still love "football food."  I classify football food as a dish that feeds a crowd at minimal effort and is perceived well from the audience it's serving.

In honor of this week I have a super easy tailgating recipe that will blow your taste buds!  Buffalo chicken dip!!  Wahoo, rah rah rah, let's hear it for the food!  Whether your team wins or loses you will always feel like a winner after eating this! 

Check out the video if you would like or just follow the recipe below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNjtH2Wlsto&list=UUsmwo9grv25f6hT7CipnI9A

-Cool

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 rotisserie chicken, picked and diced

1 (8oz) cream cheese

1/2 - 3/4 c. Frank's red hot sauce

1/2 c. Ranch or Blue cheese dressing

1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 c. Pepper jack cheese, shredded

1/2 c. Blue cheese crumbles (optional)

In a medium size crockpot combine the chicken, cream cheese, franks red hot, dressing, cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese and heat in high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Stir when all melted together and top with blue cheese crumbles if you like. Switch crock pot to warm and serve with carrots, celery, tortilla chips.