With the dark gray skies looming overhead and the asphalt slick with rain, some may complain that the days are turning drearier. I wholeheartedly disagree. I welcome this shift in weather with open arms. As many of you know, there’s no weather I love more than fall weather. Soggy brown leaves litter the ground and trees are tinged with shades of red. Sure, we’re all a bit deprived of Vitamin D during this time of year, but come on, rain, puddles, and cool crisp air are so refreshing. Something about this ‘gloomy’ weather is so revitalizing to me. It’s the kind of weather that makes a person slow down, breathe, and take in as many moments as possible. The kind of weather that has people nostalgically staring out of their window, daydreaming about times past.
It’s also the kind of weather where warm foods and drinks are staples in many households. For one, my mom often makes Thai Basil Fried Rice as a treat for our family. I, however, personally don’t like eating white rice. Yet whenever this fried rice is on the table, I can never just eat one bowl, and neither can my dad. But since my dad is a diabetic, rice isn’t necessarily an ideal main ingredient to use in our food. On Sunday I decided to use farro, a hearty and healthy whole grain, as a rice substitution. It turned out AWESOME!
Since farro has so much texture and contains so much fiber, it’s a lot harder to overeat with this fried ‘rice’. The basil, red bell peppers, and garlic flavors all stay true to the Thai Basil Fried Rice in spite of the fact that there was no rice. Should you try this? YES, DEFINITELY!
- 1 cup farro
- 6 basil leaves
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 2 eggs (scrambled)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced into large chunks)
- 1 kale leaf (de-stemmed and chopped)
- ½ yellow onion (diced)
- 2 Tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce
- Soy sauce to taste
- In a small pot, add the farro and water. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower it to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until all water has evaporated. Check on it occasionally and give it a little stir every now and then. The farro should be slightly chewy when cooked.
- In a large pan or wok, add the oil, turn your stove to medium heat, and add the scrambled eggs. Cook them only halfway (they should still be fairly runny), and then push them to the side of the pan. Add the yellow onion, bell peppers, garlic, vegetarian mushroom sauce, and farro. Turn the heat on high and stir everything together. It's best to have two spatulas or large spoons to toss the farro, vegetables, sauce, and eggs. Toss them continuously until the bell peppers and onions appear cooked and are very fragrant. Add the basil and toss for about another minute. Add soy sauce to taste and turn off the heat.
Note: You can find the vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce at any local Asian market or here
. Also, if you’re vegan, you can simply omit the eggs.
Eat some fried rice without any negative repercussions to your health. It is a high nutrient dense meal with only whole grains and vegetables. What more could you ask for in a warm home cooked meal? It’s ideal for this time of year. Forget pumpkin…okay, not true, don’t forget the pumpkin. But I mean, this is pretty darned yummy.
Anyways, good night! There’s too much to do and my notebook has a bunch of scratched out possible speeches for my grandfather’s service. Nothing sounds right, so I turned to blogging because it’s more fun and I definitely couldn’t leave you guys hanging, right?
Stay happy and healthy, y’all!
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