Farro Salad

This is a cold salad that requires a few hours.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Farro
3 cups of Arugula
3 sliced Tofu Sausages
1 cup of Sliced Almonds
1 cup of Dried Cranberries

Unmeasured Ingredients:
(the amount of these ingredients included are up to the chef. Some like it salty...)

Thyme
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Hard Materials

1 Boiling Pot
2 Sautee Pans
1 Salad Bowl
1 Stirring Spoon
1 Serving Utensil
1 Colander

Preparation:

Prepare the farro first. One cup of farro requires two cups of water and the process for preparation is similar to that of rice. Therefore, add two cups of water to one cup of farro in a medium sized boiling pot and let cook for about 20 minutes with the lid on. Add two pinches of salt to the boiling pot. At the 20 minute mark begin to check to see that the farro is still a bit firm; soggy farro in a cold salad will not be as tasty.

While the farro is cooking prepare a thyme dressing for it by infusing thyme in olive oil. Start with about five table spoons of olive oil in a sautee pan over low head. As the oil heats up add as much or as little thyme as you would like. Also, if you enjoy salt and pepper add those to this mixture as well. Once the oil has heated and the herbs and spices have been properly infused, about seven to ten minutes, let it cool on the stove.

Once the farro is cooked to the proper firmness, use your judgement by imaginining yourself eating it cold and liking it (this may take a few moments to visualize, just let it happen), strain out the extra water using a colander. Put the colander directly into the refridgerator and let the farro chill, perhaps about an hour. Also, transfer the olive oil mixture from the sautee pan to a dish and put in the refridgerator to chill as well.

After the farro and dressing have been chilling for a while, in another sautee pan add sliced tofu sausage and seer. I used tofu "Italian Sausage,"adds a bit more spice to the final flavor.

After everything has had a chance to get cold, and the sausage is prepared, combine the farro, arugula, sliced almonds and sausage in a salad bowl. Gently toss.

Finally, dress the salad with the olive oil mixture and a bit of balsamic vinegar to your liking. Salt the salad one more time if you wish and toss again. Garnish the salad by sprinkling dried cranberries on top before serving.

Enjoy with an Argentine red wine.

Lentil & Sweet Potato Stew

Lentil & Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients:

1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup of Lentils (unprepared)
5 cups of Spinach
2 cans of 14 oz. Vegetable Broth
1 diced Onion
1 diced Garlic Clove
1 package of Seitan


Unmeasured Ingredients:
(the amount of these ingredients included are up to the chef. Some like it salty...)

Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Thyme

Hard Materials:

2 Saute Pans
2 Boiling Pots
1 Knife
1 Cup Measuring Cup
1 Spatula
1 Stirring Spoon


Preparation:

The lentils will take the longest so put them on the stove first. In a large pot (this will be the final stew pot) prepare the lentils. One cup of raw lentils will require two cups of water and about 35 minutes to cook. Do not cook the lentils completely, they will finish cooking later in the vegetable broth, keep them a tad firm.
The next step is to steam the spinach. The amount of spinach you use is also personal preference. Five cups is probably the least you should use, spinach is a miracle vegetable. To steam Spinach fill a pot about a quarter deep with water and put in the spinach. Cover the pot, after about 5 minutes stir the spinach around so that all the leaves get a bit of moisture. Cover the pot again and let steam until the spinach is a slightly darker shade of green. The spinach will finish cooking in the saute pan with the onions and garlic.
Before that though, saute the sweet potatoes. Line the bottom of one of the saute pans with olive oil. Put cubed sweet potatoes in the saute pan. Turn on the heat! Add salt and pepper to the potatoes as you see fit. This is also a good time to put in some thyme as the olive oil will infuse the potatoes. Allow the potatoes to simmer on medium heat after they cooked on high for about 3 minutes.
In the other saute pan, also line the bottom with olive oil and add the diced onion and garlic. Add salt and pepper as you see fit. By this time the spinach should be all boiled. Strain the spinach and then add it to this saute pan. Cook these ingredients together on high for about another minute and then add in the sweet potatoes. Cook all of these ingredients on high for another minute and then let simmer.
While the sauted ingredients simmer, strain the water from the lentils. While the lentils are in the strainer empty the two cans of vegetable broth into the stew pot and begin to heat. Once the lentils are strained add them to the broth to heat a bit more.
Finally, add all the sauted ingredients, and the seitan. Bring the stew to a boil. Once it is boiling cover the stew and turn the heat down to low for at least 10 minutes.

Then eat it with a flaxseed baguette!