Farro and Lentils with Braised Greens and Bacon

In my quest to eat more consciously – both for myself and for the environment – I’ve attempted to relegate meat to a mere seasoning in most dishes, rather than a main component. Moving a bit down the food chain is both good for health and exerts less stress on the planet.

That does not, however, mean that food must be tasteless and bland. Just as many people recommend buying more expensive, flavorful cheeses and using them in moderation rather than using copious amounts of the near tasteless cheap stuff, such is the case with meals like this. Most people can agree that bacon is the wunderkind of meats – if it can turn hardcore veggies back to meat, it’s good in my book.

Here I’ve taken farro (or wheat berries, depending on where you live) and French green lentils and topped them with braised mustard and turnip greens, bacon, and mushrooms. It takes some nutritional powerhouses and gussies them up with the luscious fattiness we crave. I’m almost positive that my heart won’t take issue with the bacon fat once it realizes it’s coating super-healthy greens…right?

Even for those who aren’t fans of greens in general (which is a travesty, FYI), this dish is sure to please with the big chunks of bacon and flavorful mushrooms. If you’re not too keen on the toothsome farro (much like my husband is not) just boil it for about 5 minutes before you add the lentils to the pot of salted water.

Farro and Lentils with Braised Greens and Bacon

½ cup farro

½ cup French green lentils (Lentils du Puy)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into chunks

16 oz chopped mustard and turnip greens, chopped into bite size pieces (in your produce section)

8 oz sliced mushrooms

Shaved Parmigiana Reggiano for garnish (optional)

Combine the farro, lentils, and garlic cloves in a pot and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on doneness desired.

Meanwhile, brown the bacon in a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat until most of the fat is rendered. Add the greens and cook for a few minutes (you might have to add in batches to get them to fit). Cover the pan and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until done to taste.

Drain the farro and lentils, discarding the garlic cloves. Top with the greens and mushrooms and shave some cheese to garnish if desired.

 

salmon chowder

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where chowder is a diet staple. If you've managed to make it to 5 years old without trying some kind of chowder - clam, oyster, fish, etc. - then there's definitely something odd going on.

Because I had some unpredictable allergic reactions to seafood as a child I was a little more sheltered than most and usually stuck to clam chowder. It wasn't until I started spending more time on the East Coast that I finally tried salmon chowder. Since then it's become a family favorite. It's easy to whip up a pot on the weekends and take it to work for lunch throughout the week - especially because I think it tastes even better the next day after it's been chilled and all of the flavors have had a chance to really meld. I think it creates a much deeper, richer flavor.

The original recipe calls for fish stock, which can be difficult to find and I find obnoxious to make on my own. Kitchen Basics does make a boxed stock that I find delicious and you can usually find it at Whole Foods (their clam stock is fabulous for making clam chowder, also). If you can't find a seafood stock then use chicken stock, but remember to use stock - not broth.

This is a key part of soup making of which many people tend to miss out - stock and broth are two very different things. Stock is made using browned bones, meat and vegetables. It has a rich, hearty flavor with a great deal of depth. Broth is made using just meat and vegetables and tends to have a much more subtle flavor. Think of it as the difference between using a a carcass from a roasted chicken vs. pieces of chicken meat to flavor the liquid. Both have their purposes, but one must be aware that they are indeed different.

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cinnamon and honey applesauce

I went grocery shopping at the commissary the other day to restock the fridge after vacation and found that they had installed two huge bins of 'dinged' produce. These are the fruits and vegetables that have bumps and bruises - a little more damage than you're average cosmetic defect - with discounts to match.

There were all sorts of different items in the bins - zucchini, red delicious apples, bananas. The only item I was really interested in was the packages of granny smith apples.

Bumped and bruised granny smiths? Sounds like applesauce to me.

OK - it actually sounded like apple pie, but I convinced myself that applesauce was a much healthier alternative.

Less than two dollars for five pounds of apples later and I was on my way home to make some applesauce.

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sausages and white beans with tomatoes

Hearty dishes of beans and sausages are perfect for those last few wintry days before spring that just won't seem to loosen their grasp.

After spending the last two weeks in Hawaii it was easy to forget that there are still numerous parts of the country still firmly in winter's icy grip. Also, even if it's warmer here in North Carolina than when I left - it's still too chilly to check the mail in shorts and a tank top.

But, until the days when I'm begging for air conditioning and iced cocktails, I'll continue to find a place on the weekly menu for stick-to-the-ribs meals like this one.

It calls for soaking the beans overnight and then cooking them for several hours, but I don't think anyone will care too much if you just used canned. I know I'll be using canned if I make it again - I just can't get over the firmness of dried beans and don't have the patience to boil them for three days to get the mushy consistency I prefer.

In other words, cheating is OK.

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Apple Sausage Stuffing

I've spent a lovely Thanksgiving at a gorgeous house in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with TA and his mother's side of the family.

I've featured a recipe or three of the MiL's in the past and though I was wary about the addition of Red Delicious apples in..well, anything, this stuffing was one of the best I've ever had.

The combination of the hot sausage and apples makes such a great pairing - I was truly surprised.

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