A "fake" risotto

As much as I love to cook, there are some days when I stare blankly into my fridge and wonder, "What can I cook with these things today?" After spending the afternoon walking around in IKEA buying things that we need for the apartment, the last thing I wanted to do was go grocery shopping and then cook an elaborate meal.


So, I looked in my fridge and made a "fake" risotto that ended up being a lot better than I expected. I am guessing that it is healthier too, mainly because of a. no butter and b. not a lot of salt. (the saltiness of the pesto and the cheese definitely serves as great seasoning)

I am going to write this in a recipe-like form although it's really not exact... Just because I have been meaning to do something like this.


Ingredients:
- farro
- pesto
- cauliflower
- garlic
- salt & pepper
- parmesan cheese
- chicken breast


1. Place farro in water, and bring it to a simmer and let it cook for a bit. (the bag says to cook for 30 to 40 minutes, but last time when I did that, I felt that it was overcooked and mushy so I just kept on trying little bits of it to see if I felt that it was cooked but not mushy)


2. In a small pan, toss in cauliflower and minced garlic with olive oil and some salt and pepper. When it has some nice coloring, take the cauliflower off the heat.


3. Add cut up chicken breast to the pan with a little bit more olive oil, salt and pepper. When the outside looks a bit cooked but not completely, add the cauliflower to the pan and toss it around for a bit. 


4. Decrease the heat significantly and add some pesto and toss it around for all the ingredients to work together. If the farro is done, drain it and add it to this mixture as well. 


5. Add some parmesan cheese into the mixture on top of the heat to distribute the cheese throughout, but this is optional since you can also grate some cheese directly onto the "risotto" and it will be fine. (I did both, since I love some extra cheese)


6. SERVE AND EAT.


* Like I said, I don't know if I am insulting the Italian tradition of cooking by doing this, but I thought it was prettty delicious and really easy to do (instead of the stirring for hours kind of deal). 


* Also, while it is "lighter" than a traditional risotto would be, I thought it was hearty, warm and filling!