Happy meatless Monday everyone! Every now and then Troy and I like to lighten things up and today we replaced our meat for some meaty mushrooms. I found oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, Maitakes, and Enoki mushrooms at Whole Foods. You can use any variety you can find at your grocery store. Have fun with it and try something new :).

Roasting mushrooms concentrates their meaty flavor and has you forgetting that you left off the meat. Since the mushrooms are earthy and the farro has a nutty flavor from the toasting, adding the mint and pistachio chimichurri adds a pop of freshness and acidity that elevates the flavors.

Happy Eating!

Now it’s time to go and grade some papers-1st grade teaching never stops! 🙂

Mint and Pistachio Farro Risotto with Roasted Mushrooms

Ingredients

For the mint and pistachio chimichurri:

1 cup fresh mint

1/2 cup parsley

1 cup pistachios

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup light olive oil

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

splash of water

salt and pepper to taste

For the mushrooms:

2 pints mushrooms, cleaned and halved

2 tbs Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh thyme

salt and pepper

For the Farro:

5 cups chicken stock

2 tbs Avocado oil

4 garlic cloves, divided

1/2 red onion, diced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 cup sherry wine

2 cups farro (I used Central Market quick cook grains)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Pistachios, garnish

In a food processor, add mint, parsley, pistachios, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and splash of water, and pulse until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450. Clean and chop mushrooms and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toss mushrooms in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Spread to an even layer and roast for 15-20 minutes.

Place chicken stock and 3 cloves of smashed garlic in a small pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer.

In a heavy bottom skillet, saute onions, 1 minced garlic clove, and red pepper flakes with avocado oil until soft and translucent. Add in the farro and lightly toast. Once the farro has toasted, add in the sherry and stir to combine. When the wine has been absorbed into the farro, add the chicken stock, 2-3 ladles at a time, and stir continuously until absorbed. Repeat until all the stock has been used. Add in the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the mint and pistachio chimichurri with the farro.

Plate mint and pistachio farro and top with roasted mushrooms. Garnish with Parmesan and pistachios.