Faro Salad; Meatless Monday

Faro is a newfound grain for me. I did say for ME, because Faro is a very ancient grain. It is a essentially a form of wheat that looks more like Barley and has a nutty taste. It is usually found in salads & soups.I came across this grain thanks to my colleague. She brought me this little bag of "quick cook" Faro from Trader Joe's to try. I had never had Faro until then. I decided to make a salad with it. I wasn't sure what would go well with this grain. My friend told me that she had eaten a spinach- tomato-Faro salad and really liked it. I had both spinach and tomatoes in my refrigerator. I decided to use them.

I basically cooked the Faro as per the directions on the package. I then let it cool down.The yield is amazing. A little bit goes a long way! Just one cup was plenty for 4 people! I blanched the spinach( the reason being these were thick-leaved spinach) and I was not crazy about eating them raw. Of course, the pictures would have looked better with raw spinach. Then again, I am sure you guys will agree that taste is just as important. I sliced some cherry tomatoes. I tossed them all together with lemon-olive oil dressing . I used parsley to garnish it. That's it guys! That simple. I must say that it was absolutely delicious! I would make this again and again. It would make for a great lunch! Do try this if you get a chance. The Trader Joe's Faro does cook in exactly 10 mins!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Faro: 1 cup, uncooked
Water: 2 cups
Salt: a pinch
Spinach leaves: 1 cup, blanched
Cherry/grape tomatoes: 10-12
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Freshly ground black pepper powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: to taste
Parsley: 1/4 cup, chopped.

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Add Faro, simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Open the lid, fluff it with a fork and cover again. Keep aside.

Slice the cherry/ grape tomatoes into half.

To a small jar, add 1 tbsp olive oil ( extra virgin), 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper and salt. Shake the jar and mix well. Keep aside.

In a separate bowl, take the blanched spinach, the sliced tomatoes, the cooked faro, chopped parsley and the olive oil-lemon juice dressing. Mix well.

Garnish with parsley.

This salad can be served warm or cold.

Leftovers for lunch with avocado!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Like I always say, you can add pretty much anything you want into a salad. So feel free to improvise based on the ingredients that are available to you.

Whenever you are unsure regarding the dressing to be used, olive oil-vinegar or lemon juice is the safest bet. Again when in doubt of the proportion, use equal amounts of oil and acid. My trick is that I make extra in a jar and use as much as needed.

Tip for healthy living:

Salads make for a great way to include vegetables & sometimes fruits in a diet. Try to incorporate some kind of salad in all your meals. You will be covered for your daily 5-6 servings of vegetables.

References:

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