Farro with Arugula and Red Onion

I love cold grain salads and have recently discovered farro, which is basically an Italian wheat berry.  You could make this with whatever grain you prefer, but some sort of whole wheat berry would be best.

You can add almost anything to this dish...  roasted tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, olives, cucumber...  You get the idea.  Don't put too many things together, though.  My rule of thumb is two ingredients and seasoning.

Salad grain:
Farro (cooked according to package directions - soak for 20 min. then cook like pasta till done but still firm and chewy - rinse in cold water to stop the cook - drain)

Two ingredients:
chopped baby arugula and red onion

Seasoning:
olive oil, lemon juice, salt, fresh ground black pepper

Oh!  and parmesan cheese - very finely grated

Toss, add seasonings to taste, serve with something delicious or enjoy all on its own.

Crispy Polenta with Egg and Italian Salsa

This is a quick dish (even if you make the polenta yourself) and makes a great lunch.  I just use the pre-made polenta.  It comes in a tube and you can slice off round disks easily. This dish is best done in a non-stick pan, because the polenta will soak up oil and stick to the pan otherwise.

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs
1 medium tomato (coarsely chopped)
1/4 cup red onion (finely diced)
Fresh Basil (sliced in thin strips)
Several thin slices of polenta cake
crumbly cheese (goat, parmesan,
or whatever...)
olive oil



METHOD:

In one pan, add a little oil and when hot, slip in the polenta.  It helps to dip the polenta in oil before adding to the pan.  In a second pan, add a little oil and your red onion.  Brown the polenta till it's crispy around the edges and remove to a plate.  Fry the onion for only a minute or so (just so it's fragrant) and then add the tomatoes.  Keep the heat high, and cook off some of the tomato juice.  Remove the tomato and onion from the heat, mix in the basil and add a small pinch of salt.  Fry your two eggs in the leftover polenta oil in whatever style you prefer.

Then layer: polenta, eggs, tomato salsa, cheese.  Couple grinds of fresh black pepper and...  mangia!

Eggplant Chana Masala

I cook so few good vegetarian dishes (besides salads).  This one is my favorite.  This time around, I mixed it up and added a little eggplant.  It was a welcome addition, though you can leave it out if you'd like.  It would be more traditional that way.

Also...  The recipe calls for the use of Amchoor powder, which is made from tart, unripe mangos that are dried and ground.  It gives a bit of sourness to the dish.  If you don't have this, substitute more lemon juice (as per the instructions).

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. canola oil

2 medium onions

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, (jalepeno is fine)

1 tbsp. ground coriander

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp. ground turmeric

2 tsp. whole cumin seeds

1 tbsp. amchoor powder (see below)

1 tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. garam masala

2 cups tomatoes, chopped small (I don't worry about seeds or skins.) or 1 15 oz. can of tomatoes with their juices, chopped small

2/3 cup water

2 cups cubed eggplant (skin on, 1 by 1 inch)

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (Double this if you leave out the eggplant.)

Salt (to taste)

1/2 lemon (juiced) (use a whole lemon if no Amchoor powder)

Finely mince the onion, garlic, and pepper.  Put the oil in a large pan, add the cumin seeds to the cool oil and turn on the heat to medium.  The seeds will begin to brown and pop.  Add the onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until it begins to brown.  Add the eggplant and fry until it also begins to take on color. Now, add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, amchoor (if using it), paprika and garam masala.  Mix well.  Fry with the spices for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas.   Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or so, then stir in salt and lemon juice.  Serve with warm flat bread and your favorite rice.