Farro with Honey-Garlic Roasted Tomatoes

• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• ¾ cup uncooked farro
• 1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine oil, honey, and garlic in a large bowl. Add tomatoes; gently, with your hands, toss until thoroughly coated. Pour tomatoes onto a jelly-roll pan; turn tomatoes until they’re all cut side down. Draw tomatoes together until they’re cozy and touching. If there’s any honey mixture left, drizzle over tomatoes. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until wrinkled and soft but not mushy; do not brown. (Note: Grape tomatoes may take less time than cherry tomatoes.) Remove tomatoes from oven; cool to room temperature.

While tomatoes cook, place farro in a medium saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above farro. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until nicely chewy and not puffed open and starchy. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine farro, tomato mixture, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. Top with walnuts and feta; garnish with thyme. Serve immediately, or let the flavors marry in the fridge for an hour or 2.

Serves 6 as side dish (1/2 c.); 191 calories.

VERDICT:  The end result is good, but it was a little disheartening to realize that it tasted almost exactly like Smitten Kitchen's wonderful one-pot farro, but with five times as many steps and pans.  Toss.

Whole-Grain Breakfast Bar

• 4.75 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• Cooking spray 

Preheat oven to 375°.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl.

Place bananas in a large bowl; mash until smooth. Add sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until combined. Add flour mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in nuts and dried cranberries.

Spread dough into a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 bars.

Yield: 16 bars; 198 calories.

VERDICT:  Like a cross between an oatmeal cookie and cake.  Not bad for breakfast, and seems easily adaptable to whatever you might have around.  Keep.

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary

• 1 1/2 cups green split peas 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups chopped onion 
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves, divided (about 3 cloves) 
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, divided
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups Vegetable Stock or 1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream 

Sort and wash peas; cover with water to 2 inches above peas, and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and bay leaf; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon rosemary, paprika, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Drain peas. Add peas, 4 cups water, Vegetable Stock, and salt to onion mixture; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often. Discard bay leaf. Place half of soup in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour pureéd soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup.

Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and parsley. Stir parsley mixture into soup. Spoon soup into bowls; top each with sour cream.

Note: If you use canned broth instead of Vegetable Stock, omit the added salt.

Serves: 6 (1 c. soup, 2 T. sour cream); 233 calories.

VERDICT:  Not terrible, but the fresh rosemary at the end is a little pine-y.  Toss.

Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

• 1 large (mine was just over 1 1/4 pounds/570 grams) eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 celery stalk, in a 1/4-inch dice
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces (225 grams) orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) vegetable stock
• 1 to 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or more to taste, up to the zest of a whole lemon
• 4 ounces (115 grams) mozzarella, firmer is better here, cut into 1/3-inch dice
• 1 1/2 ounces (a generous 1/2 cup or 45 grams) parmesan, grated
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced 

Sprinkle your eggplant generously with salt and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. I used this time to get the rest of my ingredients ready. After 30 minutes, rinse it well and pat it dry on towels.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring pieces occasionally. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer them to paper towels to drain. Add celery and carrots to remaining oil and cook for 3 minutes before adding onion and garlic. Cook together for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for two minutes more. Off the heat, add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon table salt, many grinds of black pepper and the stock and mix well.

Transfer mixture to an 8×11-inch (about 2 quarts) ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then bake 20 minutes without the foil. (You can increase the ration of foil-on to foil-off time if you don’t like a crunchy pasta lid.) Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6ish.

VERDICT:  I went on the high end of both lemon and oregano and still found this bland.  Toss.

Currant Rosemary Scones

• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) chilled, unsalted butter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dried currants
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• 2 to 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for garnish 

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Cut the butter into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes and freeze for 10 minutes before using. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, quickly cut or blend the cold butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse meal. The butter pieces should be mostly about the size of small pebbles, but some larger pieces are okay.

Using a large fork or a wooden spoon, mix the currants and rosemary into the flour-butter mixture.
Stir the cream into the flour-butter mixture with a large wooden spoon or a fork until the dough begins to come together. The flour should not be fully incorporated at this point, and do not overmix.
Transfer the dough and any loose floury bits to a floured countertop or pastry board/mat.
Quickly knead the dough until it comes fully together, and then flatten it with the palms of your hands into a 3/4 inch-thick mound (the shape does not matter at this point). Fold the dough in half, give it a quarter turn and then flatten it again. Repeat this process 3 more times.

Flour your surface once more, and then shape the dough into a 3/4 inch-thick round that is 6 inches in diameter. Use a bench scraper or a knife to cut the dough into 4 equal triangles. Then cut those in half to make 8 even triangles. Place the triangles on an ungreased rimmed sheet pan.

At this point, we recommend placing the rimmed sheet pan in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will help the scones firm up and retain their shape during baking. If baking right away, brush with cream and top with turbinado sugar to finish; or if freezing, brush with cream and top with turbinado sugar just before baking.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the scones comes out clean. Cool the scones on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter, jam or honey.

Yield: 8 scones.

VERDICT:  A nice flavor combination with an excellent crunchy sugar top.  I think I added too much flour in the kneading process, as they seemed a little dry.  I probably won't make scones much, but keep in mind. 
 

Smoked Almond & Chickpea Sandwiches

Quick Smoked Almonds

• 2 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup raw almonds

Sandwiches

• cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 avocado
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground pepper to taste
• 8 to 12 slices bread, toasted
• Dijon mustard, lettuce, and tomato

Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
To make the almonds: Mix together all the liquid ingredients in a small bowl and combine the nutritional yeast, paprika, and garlic powder in a separate bowl. Grab the almonds, add them to the liquid bowl, and stir that together to make sure all the almonds are covered. Scoop out the almonds, add them to the bowl with all the dry seasonings, and stir until they are covered. When they look all seasoned, scoop them out and lay them on the baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 10 minutes, stir them around, and then put them back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Take them out and let cool.

While all that is happening, add the chickpeas, avocado, and lemon juice to a big bowl and mash them. Some chunks are fine, whatever you like. Fold in the onion, dill, celery, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, then mix it all together.

Once the almonds have cooled, chop them up and add them to the bowl.

Serve up this badass filling on some toasted bread with Dijon mustard, lettuce, and tomato. This is best enjoyed the day it’s made; it keeps fine in the fridge but you might lose some of that crunch.

Yield: 4-6 sandwiches.

VERDICT:  Delicious, in an almost-tuna-salad way I haven't had before.  I ate it for a few days and was fine with the texture.  From Thug Kitchen (without most of the swearing and the ridiculous word sammies).  Keep!