Kale and Roasted Beet Farro with Sage and Hazelnuts

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Looking for a new one dish meal to shake things up a bit? Kale and Roasted Beet Farro with Sage and Hazelnuts is perfect for #meatlessmonday or anytime you’re looking for a healthy, comforting, and flavorful vegetarian dish… Topped with a poached egg and drizzled with crispy sage browned butter, this dish may convince even the meat eaters in your life!

What’s that you say? You don’t like beets? Childhood memories of slabs of red canned beets evoke strong responses in many people. If you are one that turns up your nose at beets, I dare you to try a caramelized, roasted, fresh, earthy, delicious beet! Beets are definitely unbeetable. Haha.

I love all vegetables, but nothing tops roasted golden beets in my book. I love standard beets, but I challenge you to find a messier food!  😯 A dish like Kale and Roasted Beet Farro With Sage and Hazelnuts would be purple by the time it hits the plate…

The hubs frowns at purple food (even purple potatoes)! Golden beets are a bit milder than red, and your hands won’t look like they’re covered with blood when you finish prepping them. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a couple of beets the next time you see them at your market. They’re in season!

I chose a quick-cooking farro for this dish. It doesn’t have quite the bite of its longer-cooking counterpart, but it cooks in 10 minutes and the nutritional value of the grain is preserved in the process! Be sure to adjust cooking time for your specific farro as per instructions. You will enjoy farro in the same dishes you would barley, brown rice, etc.

I do specify lacinato (aka dinosaur) kale in this recipe, but you may certainly substitute other kale varieties. I find the leaves are easier to wash and remove from their woody stems. After the leaves are separated from their stems, they get rough chopped and steamed.

Lastly, this is a perfect way to use farm fresh eggs. The soft yolk is so creamy and contrasts nicely with the firm grain, sweet beets, and crunchy toasted hazelnuts.

Just. Say. Yes. Kale and Roasted Beet Farro With Sage and Hazelnuts is downright delicious. You will be missing out if you don’t try this one!

Helpful Hints:

• Fill your sink with cold clear water. Separate the kale leaves and swish them in the sink vigorously. Use kitchen shears to cut the stems from the leaves. Drain on paper towels. Coarsely chop all the leaves prior to steaming them.
• Go for uniformity in cutting your beets to make sure they’re all caramelized and tender at the same time. After they’re peeled, I cut them in thin wedges like I cut up an apple – cut in half (stem edge to bottom), and then repeat until the widest sections are no more than 1/2″ thick. Spread them out in a single layer on your baking sheet, and drizzle with the olive oil, and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I do love the results when cooked on a stoneware baking sheet.

• I love my electric vegetable steamer to steam the kale. Steaming preserves the nutrients that would otherwise be lost to cooking liquid! A basket steamer in a pot with a lid will work if it is large enough…
• I follow Alton Brown’s Perfect Poached Eggs, and I almost always achieve perfection.  😆

Yield: 3 to 4

Kale and Roasted Beet Farro With Sage and Hazelnuts

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Kale and Roasted Beet Farro With Sage and Hazelnuts is perfect for #meatlessmonday or anytime you're looking for a healthy, comforting, and flavorful vegetarian dish... Topped with a poached egg and drizzled with crispy sage browned butter, this dish may convince even the meat eaters in your life!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large golden beets, peeled and cut in wedges see notes
• a drizzle of olive oil
• 1 small bunch dino or lacinato kale, trimmed and steamed
• 1 shallot or 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups quick cooking farro
• 2 cups vegetable broth/stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped see notes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• several grinds pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 12-16 sage leaves
• 2 ounces chevre, crumbled
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• 3 or 4 eggs, 1 per serving see notes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 convection roast).
2. Drizzle the prepared beets with olive oil, and season with sea salt and a few grinds of pepper.
3. Roast 20 to 30 minutes until edges are caramelized, and beets are tender when pierced with a fork. Stir every 10 minutes while they roast.
4. While the beets roast, steam the kale until tender (about 7 or 8 minutes). Drain if necessary, and set aside.
5. Add a drizzle of olive oil to pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot or red onion, and garlic. Saute until fragrant and transparent.
6. Add the farro. Stir to combine. Add the broth/stock, herbs, sea salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 10 minutes.
7. Make the browned butter. Add the butter to a small saute pan on low heat. Cook until butter begins to brown. Do not burn! Add the sage leaves, and cook until they crisp up. Remove the sage leaves to a paper towel.
8. Drain any remaining liquid. Add roasted beets and kale. Check for seasoning. Cover until ready to plate.
9. Prepare your eggs - 1 per serving.

To Serve

1. Plate the finished farro. Use a spoon to make an indentation in the top. Add the egg. Drizzle with browned butter and 3 or 4 crispy sage leaves.
2. Enjoy!

Notes

It is important when roasting vegetables to cut in uniformly sized pieces. You want to caramelize the edges and have tender vegetables without being overcooked.

As mentioned in the post, I poach my eggs using Alton Brown's method. Feel free to substitute a soft-boiled, fried, or basted egg.

Macronutrients are an approximation ONLY from MyFitnessPal.com.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 586 Total Fat: 31g Carbohydrates: 60g Protein: 21g

Nutrition is an approximation and for reference purposes only!