Apple & Sausage Farro

Today's post shares one of the few recipes that I make over and over. This recipe was inspired by an apple basil gouda chicken sausage that my fiancé and I found while grocery shopping, back in the days before we were vegetarian and he was my fiancé. We've taken it to potlucks and it's always a hit. Recently, we tried this recipe veganized. To get it right, we used a cheese substitute and commercial vegetarian sausage, but it was still good! While our original dish used bow tie pasta, we upgraded to farro when making the other switches and it really enhanced the flavors. I also thought that since it's been a while (ok, a long time), I'd take the opportunity to show off farro as a great grain.  Farro is unfortunately not gluten free, as it is quite literally, whole wheat grains. For a 100 calorie serving, you get 4g protein, 4g fiber, and 1g fat. Like most grains, it's deficient in lysine, but this dish combines it with complete protein sources.

Apple & Sausage Farro

1 package Trader Joe's quick cook farro
1 package sweet Italian vegetarian sausage, cut into 1/2in coins
2 apples, cubed
1/2 block Daiya jack or regular Gouda cheese, cut into 1cm cubes
sage, basil, and garlic to taste

Boil a large pot of water and add farro. Cook as directed, it should be about 15 minutes until the farro reaches the desired texture. Meanwhile, add sausage to a skillet greased with olive oil. Add spices. Cook 5 to 10 minutes. Just before the sausage starts to brown, add you apple cubes. Cook an additional 5 minutes, until apples are soft. Turn off the heat and add cheese cubes. Cover to let the cheese melt a bit. Drain farro in a strainer. Serve apples, sausage, and cheese over farro. Enjoy!