Original Recipe: Nutty Farro Bowl with Roasted Kale, Chickpeas, and Golden Raisins

My first completely-original recipe... that I feel confident enough about to post anyways! I thought this little dish up on a late weekday night when I was just STARVING but only had odds and ends around the house. After some trial and error, I've finally come up with a pretty tasty recipe... Hope you enjoy!

Nutty Farro Bowl with Roasted Kale, Chickpeas, and Golden Raisins

Ingredients

1 lb kale leaves - stems removed, chopped
2 cans of chickpeas - drained, rinsed, and dried
Salt and Pepper
Paprika
1/2 cup olive oil - divided in to 1/4 cup, 1/8 cup, & 1/8 cup portions
2 cups farro
2 cups veggie broth
2 cups water
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 cup golden raisins (depending on how much sweet you want!)
1-2 cups of nuts (almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, etc)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast as a vegan option)

The How-To

First, get to roasting!

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash and chop the kale leaves and dry in a salad spinner.
• Toss with about 1/8 cup olive oil and spread out on a few baking sheets.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Toss those leaves in the oven for 10-15 minutes, checking on them and tossing after about 7 minutes.
• Roast until crispy with slightly browned edges.

When the kale comes out…

• Bump the heat up to 450 degrees.
• Toss the chickpeas about 1/8 cup of olive oil, spread out on a sheet pan, and season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of paprika. Toss to coat.
• Throw those babies in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring after about 13 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, the farro!

• Rinse farro with cool water in a fine mesh sieve.
• Dump farro, veggie broth, and water into a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Once boiling, cover and turn down the heat to simmer.
• Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lastly, mix it up!

• Get a gigantic bowl and mix together your…
• Roasted kale and chickpeas
• Your farro
• Lemon zest and juice
• Nuts
• Drizzle of olive oil (about 1/2 cup, give or take)
• Golden raisins
• And parmesan (or nutritional yeast)
• I like to mix everything up when the farro is still warm so that the cheese melts!
• Dish it out into about 7 portions for 7 hearty meals!
• Enjoy!