Italian Farro Salad

If you’re not familiar with it, farro is a grain similar to pearl barley, but it’s dried in such a way that instead of being fluffy and spongy, it becomes a bit chewy and has an incredible nutty flavor.
Farro is a pure form of wheat with the husk intact.
It’s been a staple in the Mediterranean diet for centuries, in fact it was a major food for the ancient Romans, who used it to make bread and soups before shifting to wheat.
It’s incredibly versatile and pretty healthy too. It contains a lot of fiber which proves to be very good when it comes to digestion and cardiovascular health. It’s also exceptionally high in protein for a grain and supplies more than 10 different vitamins and minerals.
It used to be pretty hard to find, but nowadays almost all grocery stores carry it. From Trader Joe’s to Whole Foods to Walmart, look for it in the natural-food or special selection sections.

Greek Pasta Salad

Pasta salads tend to get a bad rap, but I find that the more I think of them as cold and fresh summer dishes and the less as mayo-laden bowls of suspicious ingredients offered in delis around the country, the more inviting they become, not only for picnics and potlucks but for an awesome Friday night.
I actually made this Greek Pasta Salad for a BBQ this past weekend, everyone raved about it, and wanted to know how to make it.
In my book, I always know that something works when people ask for the recipe. Then again, I’m not sure if they are ever going to make it but sure enough, they’ve enjoyed it.
I love when people get so excited about something that is so simple to make and so fresh.

Apple-Mint Iced Tea

It’s been scorchy hot these past few days, so I’ve been drinking a lot of refreshing drinks.
Together with my Mint and Ginger Iced Green Tea this Apple-Mint Iced Tea has been at the top of my list.
Green tea tartness goes really well with the pungent and refreshing mint aroma and is perfectly counterbalanced by the apple juice sweetness.
Super simple to make, all-natural, good-for-you, and oh-so-yummy.