My weekend cookery:
Farro With White Beans and Tuna
from How to Cook Everything Fast
On the stove, get a pot of water boiling to cook the farro (about one Trader Joe’s package worth, that being the only place I know for sure carries this particular grain in my area), and salt it. In a large bowl, add olive oil, the juice of one lemon, sliced raw red onion, a couple of cans of (drained, rinsed) white beans, a can of oil-packed tuna and its oil, and some capers. Once the water boils, add the farro and cook that according to package directions. Meantime, chop some fresh parsley and add to the bowl. Once the farro is ready, drain it, add it to the bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Surprisingly hearty and very yummy.
Herby Chicken Thighs with Crisp Cabbage and Fennel
from How to Cook Everything Fast
Rub some boneless chicken thighs with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then broil them on high for 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, mix a clove of garlic (minced), some chopped fresh rosemary, chopped fresh oregano (couldn’t find it so I used dried), olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a bit of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Once the timer’s done on the chicken, pull it out, brush the top side with the herb mix, turn it over, brush that side as well, and then broil for another 6-8 minutes. Get some oil going in a large skillet and chop up a small green cabbage (Trader Joe’s only had preshredded, so I used that) and a fennel bulb then cook them in the skillet with some salt and pepper for 2-4 minutes “until slightly softened but still crunchy” (not sure I achieved this). Once both that and the chicken are done, you serve the chicken on the cabbage and fennel and drizzle any remaining herb mix over the top. Delicious, surprisingly easy, and I was surprised how good the cabbage and fennel part was. I don’t associate cabbage with much taste, usually.
It’s a variant of a recipe that uses Thai peanut sauce instead of the herbs and bean sprouts instead of the fennel, but I had a spare fennel bulb from the sausage and fennel pasta I made earlier, so I needed something else to use it on, and so, voila. There’s also a variant that uses barbecue sauce and a red onion instead of the fennel. Both sound lovely and I will have to try them.