Farro Salad

My Attempt to Re-Create

a Fun and Tasty Lunch at Uno's

 

 

This past March, I got together with my four best friends from college for our Winter Getaway.  Our first stop was to shop at the outlets.  Not long after we bought a few things, we became parched and hungry.  Off to Uno's we went! 

 

My friend Margo recommended we all try their Farro Salad.  I had never heard of farro, but I was immediately hooked.  I loved the curious chew in each bite. 

According to Wikipedia, the exact definition of farro is debated.  Farro is grown in Italy, and it is sometimes confused with barley.  In the U.S., we can buy "common wheat berries" if we want to make this dish.

I found wheat berries at Whole Foods.  I bought them in the bulk food section which was a bargain.  I hate having to buy a huge bag of something...then lose my enthusiasm...then I feel guilty if I don't use it all. 
 

Uno describes their salad as "fantastically healthy for you."  Turns out, for a 1/4 cup serving, you get 6 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and it also has iron and folic acid. 

 

In my endless effort to eat healthfully, I made this wheat berry salad this morning.  It's chilling now.  I'm thinking about adding some feta cheese to round it out.  The Uno's version has cucumber in it.  I think I'll add that too, but I'll do so closer to when I'm going to eat it.  I don't want it to get watery.

I got the recipe from Giada DeLaurentis on the Food Network which is linked below.  It's very tasty!  Now if I could only re-create Uno's amazing Bloody Mary, that would be great!





 

Farro Salad



 



 

 





Books for Foodies

Am I officially a Foodie? I don't know. But I have discovered that I love, love reading books about food and restaurants.

Several months ago, on the first day of April vacation, instead of taking out yet another cookbook from the library (which is so fun!), I stumbled upon The Saucier's Apprentice, by Bob Spitz. Not only did I enjoy Spitz's writing style, but I also savored the chance to tag along with him as he visited restaurants and cooking schools in Europe that I can only dream about (for now!). This book was a treat to read.


This book began my obsession of finding books written by restaurant critics and chefs. Next, I found "Heat, An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany" by Bill Buford. Although I am a huge Food Network fan and you'd think I'd be interested in reading about a man who worked for Mario Batali, I could not get through this book. I read enough about Batali to learn that he drinks a ton, and he has been known to take food out of the trash (allegedly) because it could be used for another dish. I read only about one-half of the book before returning it to the library.

This book did not stop me from finding some more books on this topic. Next, I read "Garlic and Sapphires: the Secret Life of a Food Critic in Disguise" by Ruth Reichl. I recognized Reichl's name on the shelf because she is featured on one of my favorite shows on TV, "Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie." (TiVo it!) I loved this book. Reichl describes in great detail some well known restaurants in New York City and includes some nice recipes too. Very fun.

The most recent book that I've read which falls into this category is a memoir from Linda Ellerbee called "Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table." Score! It was fun being transported to places around the world with her. I now have Greece on my list of places to visit some day.

Here's a link to Books For Foodies II.

I would love to hear from you if you know of more books I could try. Happy reading!

Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti

I'm always trying to find new, yummy ways to use ground turkey. My family prefers ground beef, but I am determined to convince them ground turkey tastes good! Does it taste the same as ground beef? No, but it is still good.

I adapted this recipe from the Food Network. I only buy "extra lean" turkey, so the guilt factor is very low. The next day, we ate the leftover meatballs on wheat bread.

Turkey Meatballs

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 small onion, grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

2 to 3 cloves minced garlic
2 large eggs
1 cup bread crumbs (fresh is best)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, for dusting the meat balls before browning

Quick Tomato Sauce

1 28-ounce can Pastene Kitchen Ready tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 carrot, grated

2 T olive oil

1 - 2 t. sugar

3 or 4 stalks fresh basil, chopped

Mix turkey, onion, oregano, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Add eggs, bread crumbs, and milk. Roll meatballs to desired size. Heat a large saute pan. Add oil and butter and cook over medium heat. Dust meatballs in a little flour and brown. The meatballs should be browned on medium heat.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Saute carrot in olive oil. Add the garlic. Cook over low to medium heat until soft. Add tomatoes and sugar and simmer for about 15 minutes.

After meatballs are brown, place in the sauce. Simmer until meatballs are completely cooked through. Add the basil before serving.