thyme

Farro with Brie and Squash

Leah Short — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 19:13:44 +0000

Hey strangers! Whew, it has a been way too long since I last posted. (whispers :: last June). I meant to take a short hiatus, really I did. But you know that saying, “life happens when you’re planning?” It sure does.

Last June I was burned out of blogging. It’s a lot of work, and well, I just wanted to cook and bake and not have to worry about the perfect photo shoot. I wanted a hot meal for a change! Then life started happening. I got Invisalign, had surgery twice (one planned, one not so much), lots of work changes, Bama lost the national championship, this White House cluster, and the list goes on. I’ll admit I just got too comfortable not blogging.

The eating and cooking and baking did not stop though. I needed a break to just be in the kitchen. To remember why I started blogging in the first place. It’s because I love food. Food is comforting, food is social, food is delicious. And food should be shared. So here I am, dusting off the ol’ keyboard.

Speaking of comfort food, I thought I’d share this Farro with Brie and Squash recipe with you as my first recipe back. I’ve made this dish once before and I don’t know why I don’t keep it on regular rotation. It’s warm and comforting, and I love the bright colors from the squash, red onions, and parsley. Plus hello, roasted veggies are the best. The creamy brie adds decadence without going overboard and making the dish too rich. Chicken or pork would work well in this if you needed to add meat, but this is one of my all-time favorite vegetarian dishes.

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for continuing to hang out in this space. It feels good to be back.

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 40 min

Farro with Brie and Squash

Ingredients:

2 red onions
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/3 cups farro
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 lb. cubed peeled butternut squash (about 4 cups)
3 oz. brie cheese, rind removed and cubed, plus thin slices for topping*
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

*Note: I don't like eating the rind of brie and I'm too lazy to remove it, so I buy the little tubs of brie that come without it. Not as authentic, but much easier to work with if you don't like the rind.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Mince 1/2 red onion; cut the remaining 1 1/2 onions into 1/2-inch-thick wedges and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the minced onion, mushrooms and 1 teaspoon thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the farro to the pot and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 5 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the farro is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the onion wedges, butternut squash and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon thyme in a large bowl; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the vegetables are tender and browned, about 25 minutes.

4. Add the cubed brie to the farro; stir until creamy. Stir in the parsley. Top each serving of farro with the vegetables and a slice of brie.

per serving: 460 calories, 20g fat, 58g carbs, 8g fiber, 15g protein

Food Network

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Rustic Squash Tarts

Leah Short — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 18:19:23 +0000

This Rustic Squash Tart is one of those recipes I love because it’s so unique and the presentation is really pretty. It looks like you put a lot of effort into it, but it’s really quite easy. Well, other than peeling butternut and acorn squash. It’s unique because the top is savory with the two squashes covered in herbs, but hidden underneath is a layer of spiced, sweet pecans. It sounds really odd, I know, but it just works. Baked in a flaky puff pastry, this tasty side will steal the show.

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Fall Harvest Popcorn

Leah Short — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 17:30:10 +0000

I’ve said many times before on this blog how I love “weird” combinations of food. If there’s an odd ingredient in a dish, I want to make it. I’m fascinated by ingredients I would never think to put together and how they usually end up working in a dish. Luckily my friend Carol is this way too and when she flipped through my Food Network magazine, she was drawn to their Name This Dish recipe. It’s popcorn with a savory twist mixed with pecans, cranberries, and apple chips. I’ve taken the liberty to name it Fall Harvest Popcorn, since I’m never as creative as the folks that win those naming contests. I’ll keep you posted on the winning name. This snack combination is perfect since it’s savory and sweet. No more vicious circles of snacking, just pure gluttony!

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Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto

Leah Short — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 12:38:41 +0000

Runny egg. Cheesy polenta. Salty olives. I should just end this post after those six words. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was to photograph this Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto without drooling all over it or my camera. I mean it was painful. Food bloggers always joke about never being able to eat a hot meal and gosh if it isn’t so true! Watching that yellow yolk ooze out over the creamy polenta almost did me in. You better believe I set my camera down (after a bajillion pics, amiright?!) and instantly grabbed a spoon. Heaven. Salty, creamy, cheesy, eggy heaven.

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Mushroom, Bacon, and Swiss Strata

Leah Short — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 15:10:37 +0000

This past weekend, my friend Shannon from Bake.Frost.Repeat. came to visit and we certainly like to get in the kitchen and make delicious goodies. I’m hardcore into getting my steps in from walking, so I knew we needed a hearty breakfast before I made Shannon walk all over Vanderbilt’s campus. I also wanted something quick so we could wake up, eat, and head out. This Mushroom, Bacon, and Swiss Strata was perfect! We cooked the ingredients and assembled the strata the night before, then kept it in the fridge overnight. It was really easy to let it bake while we were donning our walking gear.

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