brussels sprouts with cranberries and farro.

I am a creature of habit.  

I get it from my papa.  

I like cooking my oatmeal the same way every night before bed.  

I have a running route I like, and I stick to it. 

I like to grocery shop on sundays and do laundry on mondays.

I have the gym class scheduled memorized.  

lentils, squash and kale?  

they became a habit.  every day.

delicious, but two problems:

1. my body turned orange from the beta carotene (no, not really)

2. I had nothing new to blog about

but remember, there are no problems, only solutions! 

thanks to a visit from mama this past week, and the introduction of some new ingredients to my pantry, things are getting exciting again.

this recipe caught my eye immediately, and I have fallen in love with a brand new cyber recipe box at cookie and kate.  

I give her full credit for this delicious recipe, and would have followed it, had I the appropriate ingredients on hand.  instead, I strayed where needed and came up with this (delicious!) variation.  I would recommend checking her recipe out if you're interested in trying it yourself, but if you too don't have all the ingredients hiding in your kitchen, this version is tasty as well.

brussels sprouts with cranberries and farro.

source: cookie and kate
serves: 4 sides, 2 full servings


the goodies:
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, ends trimmed + cut in half length wise
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 2/3 c. fresh cranberries
- 1/3 c. walnuts, chopped and toasted
- 1/3 c. parmesan cheese, shaved
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1.5 c. farro (or barley, quinoa, or brown rice), cooked

the fun part:
1. if you do not have any left over grains to heat up, start to cook these now.

1 c. farro + 2.5 c. water + bring to boil, cover on low heat for 30 minutes
1 c. quinoa + 2 c. water + bring to boil, cover on low heat for 15 minutes
1 c. rice + 2 c. water + bring to boil, cover on low heat for 45 minutes

2. preheat your broiler.
3. set a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove.  let it heat up for 2-3 minutes.  it should be so hot that a few drops of water sizzle and quickly disappear after contact
4. in a medium sized bow, toss the prepared brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt and pepper.  toss well so that the sprouts are evening coated in a thin layer of oil
5.  once the pan is hot, dump the sprouts into the pan and quickly rearrange them so that the flat sides are face down.  let them cook for 2 minutes.
6. toss the fresh cranberries into the pan and transfer the pan to your broiler.  the pan will be heavy and hot so use oven mitts and be careful!  let the brussels broil for about 2 minutes.  check the sprouts for doneness - their tops should be a little browned and the bottoms caramelized.  how long you leave them there depends on your preferences and your oven.  the cranberries should have started popping by now.
7. toss the warm farro, sprouts, cranberries, cheese and nuts in a bowl and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup.  season with salt and pepper, if you choose.

{bon appetit!}

what your body will like:
per serving: 243 calories - 36 g carbs - 11 g fat - 9 g protein - 8 g fiber