Farro bowl with mushrooms, spinach, and tofu

My husband was in charge of dinner last night and he decided he wanted to use the new Vegan For Everybody cookbook he got me last week. He’s not really one to cook but he was really determined to cook something for dinner other than pasta and a pre-made sauce. He picked something that looked somewhat easy and it turned out fantastic! I did help him out by cooking the farro the night before-which I think I may do more often as it really saved time and stove space. This dish looks really simple but it is packed with flavor and interesting textures. It was so good I packed the leftovers for lunch the next day!

Bowl Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups whole farro
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp. sherry vinegar (We only had red wine vinegar and it worked great!)
• 14 oz firm tofu sliced crosswise into 8 equal slices(We used extra-firm since it was on sale)
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 10 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp. dry sherry (we skipped this-we never use sherry and didn’t want to waste it)
• 10 oz baby spinach
• 2 scallions, sliced thin (We forgot to buy scallions but I think they would have been great added on)

Sauce Ingredients (Simply whisk all together in a bowl or mug)

• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp red miso (we used white miso because we already had some)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1.5 tsp sherry vinegar (we used red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp. grated fresh ginger

What to do:

1. Cook the farro- they recommend pouring it into 4 quarts boiling water and letting it boil for 15-30 min. If you’re used to cooking it in the boil then simmer method-go for that. Once it is cooked stir in the sesame oil and vinegar. Cover it up to keep it warm.  (I cooked the farro the night before and just drizzled a bit of sesame oil and vinegar in each bowl after i warmed it up-I wanted to reserve more farro for other meals in the week!)
2. While the farro is cooking, spread the tofu on a baking sheet lined with clean tea towels or paper towels. Let it drain for 20 minutes. Gently press it dry with another clean tea towel and season with salt and pepper.
3. While the farro is cooking and tofu is drying, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, and 1/8 tsp. salt and cook until they brown. If using sherry, stir in now and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. (We used a bit of water) Cook for 1 more minute and put mixture into a bowl.
4. Spread the cornstarch in a shallow dish and evenly coat each slice of tofu. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil on medium-high heat in the same skillet you cooked the mushrooms. Add the tofu and cook until both sides are crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Add more oil if the pan becomes dry. (We had to add about 2 more tbsp of oil) Transfer the tofu to a plate.
5. Add 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil to the same skillet. Stir in the spinach and steam over medium heat. Once the spinach is wilted you are ready to serve and eat!
6. Serve with a generous amount of sauce and sliced scallions.

 I promise the farro is in there somewhere!