We’re in the midst of a major recipe development phase at The Dinner Daily, in preparation for a very exciting upgrade to be rolled out in the coming weeks. (More on that in a few weeks!) This past week our recipe development team was focused on vegetarian meals that are both easy and taste great.
For those of you who already follow a vegetarian diet, you most likely are familiar with the ingredient farro. For those of you wondering what it is, it’s a delicious and hearty grain with a nutty flavor similar to brown rice. It is rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C, and E too. It actually looks like brown rice and it is readily available in most grocery stores, usually in the rice aisle. We encourage you to give it a try as a nice alternative to your favorite starch or grain. 
However, whether you think it is a funky ingredient or not, this recipe was as delicious as it was quick. We cooked the farro in broth to give it a bit more flavor, as well as adding some sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach for color and some extra nutritional punch. But the star ingredient was swirling mascarpone cheese into the mix at the end of cooking, giving it amazing flavor. We used portobellos as the main course but you could easily make up this mix for a side dish with seafood or your favorite main course.
Ready to give it a try? The recipe is below:
Ingredients:
1 cup of farro
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups of baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
4 to 6 oz mascarpone cheese (usually found in cheese case or with cream cheese)
5 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3 scallions chopped
Instructions:
Preheat broiler. Cook farro in broth according to package directions, adding spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme during last 10 mins of cooking time. Remove from heat and stir in mascarpone cheese until melted. Season with salt & pepper. Meanwhile, while farro is cooking, spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Remove stems from portobellos and place portobellos on broiler pan. Broil for about 8 to 10 mins or until softened. To serve, place portobellos, stem side up on platter. Spoon farro mixture on mushrooms and top with parmesan and scallions. Serve extra farro on side.
Want to have a ready to go menu plan each week that uses easy recipes like this one, AND saves you money by creating your weekly plan using the specials at your local grocery store? Give The Dinner Daily a try for two weeks, free!
