Ingredient: McCormick Italian Herb Blend Grinder

Farro with Vegetables and Chicken Italian Sausage

How farro will you go to put a healthy and quick meal on the table? A little chicken Italian sausage, some fresh vegetables and a good bit if farro and about 30 minutes and you will be serving dinner with pride.DIGITAL CAMERA

Once upon a time farro was only found outside of Italy in gourmet restaurants and little Italian markets. You don’t have to go all the way to Italy to get Farro any more. It’s now available in many grocery stores and markets. DIGITAL CAMERA

This ancient Italian grain is an early form of wheat that has recently become one of the “it” ingredients. There is a lot of confusion about Farro. There are 3 kinds that differ in taste and cooking technique. Farro Medio (a.k.a. emmer) is the most common type. It’s also the easiest to cook. Whatever kind of farro you buy, follow the directions on the package to get the best results. I like my farro on the softer side of toothsome. If you like a chewier bite, experiment with the cooking time until it’s just right.

I’ve been using Meijer Naturals Italian Farro . I cook the whole 8.5 ounce package and use the extras for hot breakfast cereal, salads, or side dishes. Yes, it is that versatile. I love this stuff! I’ve been known to stand in front of the refrigerator eating it cold. Use this recipe as a springboard to you own farro nirvana.

Farro with Vegetables and Chicken Italian Sausage
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Servings
2
Servings
2
Farro with Vegetables and Chicken Italian Sausage
Print Recipe
Servings
2
Servings
2
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Bring the Chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the farro, garlic and onion powder and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook uncovered until the farro is toothsomely tender and the broth is almost absorbed. This should take 15 - 20 minutes.
  2. Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or so until it begins to soften.
  3. Add the sausage and mushrooms to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes.
  4. Add the peppers, zucchini and garlic to the pan. Cook everything for about 4 minutes. If the mixture seems a little dry, steal a bit of broth from the farro pan to keep things moving.
  5. Add approximately 2-1/2 cups of the farro and any remaining broth to the fry pan (save the rest of the farro for another meal). Cook over low heat for a few minutes stirring occasionally to bring things together.
  6. Add the herbs and half of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with the rest of the cheese.
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Penne with “Sausage” Chicken and Goat Cheese

Penne with "Sausage" Chicken and Goat Cheese
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Chicken marinated in the flavors of Italian Sausage then grilled to give it a smokey depth of flavor. Use your favorite vegetables...you could even grill them. Toss everything with your favorite cut pasta
Servings
3
Servings
3
Penne with "Sausage" Chicken and Goat Cheese
Print Recipe
Chicken marinated in the flavors of Italian Sausage then grilled to give it a smokey depth of flavor. Use your favorite vegetables...you could even grill them. Toss everything with your favorite cut pasta
Servings
3
Servings
3
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. For the Chicken: Place the tenders in a quart size zip top bag. Combine the fennel seed, pepper flakes, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3/4 tablespoon olive oil and the Italian seasoning. Pour into bag, seal and massage to distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
  2. To grill the chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade. Thread the tenders on 2 or 3 skewers. Place over medium grill heat and cook, turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through. This takes about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from skewers and use in recipe or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package reducing cooking time by one minute While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce.
  4. Zucchini: Cut in half crosswise. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 slices. Cut each slice into 3 or 4 strips.
  5. Onion and Garlic: Cut onion in half lengthwise. Slice thinly lengthwise. Finely chop the 3 cloves of garlic.
  6. Peppers: Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and cut in half crosswise. Cut in 1/2 wide strips
  7. Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the remaining olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and cook 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and zucchini. and cook 3 -4 minutes.
  8. Cut the chicken tenders into bite size chunks. and add them to the pan. Stir in the chicken broth slowly. You want everything moistened, but nothing swimming. You may not need to use all of the broth.
  9. Simmer for a few minutes. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and add it to the fry pan. Toss to combine everything and cook another minute.
  10. Crumble the goat cheese on top of the pasta and spoon into bowls. Top with ground pepper to taste.
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Spinach and Artichoke Soup with Chicken Sausage

Spinach and Artichoke Soup with Chicken Sausage
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Spinach and Artichoke Soup with Chicken Sausage
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Stock Base
Soup
Servings:
Instructions
  1. For the Stock: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes or so. Add the stock to the pan and raise heat to high. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer, Cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Using an immersion blender puree until smooth. Add the Italian herb blend stir and set aside.
  2. While the stock cooks, prepare the soup ingredients. Heat the olive oil in a medium fry pan. add the chicken in a single layer and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned on one side. Turn and brown other side. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
  3. Add the onions and red pepper to the drippings in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and spinach to the pan and cook another 3 minutes or so. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. To Broil the Artichoke Heats: Pre-heat broiler.Spray a rimmed baking sheet with the non-stick spray. Lay the artichoke hearts on the tray making sure they are not touching. Spray lightly with the cooking spray and sprinkle with the Italian herb blend. Broil for 5 minutes. Turn the artichokes spray the other side lightly and sprinkle with a little more herb blend and broil another 5 minutes. Remove from broiler and allow to cool. Slice in half length-wise. Set Aside.
  5. Once all of the ingredients are prepared, return the pan of stock to the heat. Bring stock back up to temperature and add the onion spinach mixture, the sausage, and the artichoke hearts. simmer everything for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
  6. Serve with shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese.
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Balsamic Baked Chicken

Balsamic Baked Chicken
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Quick and easy recipe for chicken that can be cooked in the oven or on the grill
Servings
2
Servings
2
Balsamic Baked Chicken
Print Recipe
Quick and easy recipe for chicken that can be cooked in the oven or on the grill
Servings
2
Servings
2
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Mix the vinegar, one tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, Italian herb blend, and dried herbs in a small bowl. Put the chicken breasts in a zip top bag and add half of the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Reserve the rest of the marinade for the glaze.
  2. When you are ready to cook the chicken. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the breasts in a cooking sprayed shallow pan. Bake until cooked through 25 - 30 miutes.
  3. If you are grilling the chicken. Heat the grill and spray lightly with cooking spray. Add the chicken and grill over medium heat turning once until cooked through 20- 25 minutes.
  4. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the glaze. Heat the remaining olive oil in a small pan. Add the shallots and cook until golden brown, 10 minutes or so. Add the reserved marinade, chicken stock and honey. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is thick and reduced by about 1/3.
  5. Transfer the cooked chicken to the plates and drizzle with some of the glaze. Extra glaze can go in a bowl to be passed at the table.
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