You've probably seen recipes lately calling for farro. This ancient grain is gaining popularity for its health benefits and ability to adapt to different recipes. Farro is a great source of protein, fiber, antioxidants and B vitamins. It also provides iron magnesium and zinc. Its somewhat chewy, nutty flavor adds interest to salads and side dishes.
Here is a healthy, warm breakfast that takes approximately an hour to cook. Add your favorite toppings and you're ready for the day.
Once in awhile you find a recipe that works so much better in a solar oven than it ever could on a stovetop. This is one of those recipes, the slow cooked flavor is truly delicious. If you can find canned roasted tomatoes, it adds even deeper flavor. We made this as accompaniment for tamales on New Years Eve; just be sure to get it started early if you're making it in the winter. This side dish needs about four hours to cook.
This solar oven recipe comes courtesy of Marissa Monmaerts at Transitions US. Read the original post on her blog here.
Set the Solavore Sport outside to preheat.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add butter and cut it in to the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until the pieces of butter are pea-sized. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and the egg yolk. Slowly pour the buttermilk mixture in to the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Add in chocolate and cherries and stir gently.
Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead gently to combine. Shape the dough into a circle about one inch thick. Cut the dough in to 8 pie-shaped pieces.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and arrange the scones on the sheet.
Bake the scones in the solar oven for 1 to 1.5 hours.
Like most grains, we need to adjust the amount of liquid used when cooking quinoa in the solar oven. Pro tip: starting with warm or hot liquid will shorten the the cooking time slightly. This recipe gives great results!
1.5 cups water or broth
1 cup quinoa
salt to taste
Place your Solavore Sport in the sun to preheat. Add quinoa, water and optional salt to your graniteware pot and stir to combine. Cover the pot and place in the solar oven. Let cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. You'll know it is done when all of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.
Perfect for those days when the sun is out, but you don't have any elaborate cooking plans. You can still put the sun to work for you; simply place potatoes in the oven and go on with your day.
This recipe is based on potatoes weighing 1 lb. each—the really choice bakers. For smaller potatoes, the cooking will be faster.
1. Wash and dry the potatoes. Prick each potato a few times.
2. Place 2 large baking potatoes per Sport cooking pot. Do not add liquid.
3. Put lid on the black cooking pot and place in the Sport solar oven. Clip the clear lid to the oven. Face the oven into the sun and then rotate it clockwise 30 degrees. Relax and do other things. The potatoes can be left unopened the entire cooking time. Check in 3-4 hours. If the potatoes are not done, face the oven toward the sun plus 30 degrees clockwise and continue cooking.
4. To serve, open the potatoes and top however you choose.
In the picture above, we used black beans, salsa, cheddar cheese and guacamole to turn a baked potato in to a hearty meal.
Cooking time - up to 6 hours.
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 oil
2 eggs beaten
While the Solavore Sport is preheating, sift the first five dry ingredients. Stir cornmeal in to the other dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add buttermilk and oil to the eggs. Combine dry and wet ingredients and blend well. Grease and flour two black solar ovens pots. Pour batter into the two pots. Place lids on the pots and place in the Sport.
Bake for 1 to 1/2 hours
Makes two 8-inch rounds of cornbread.
