Farro Pasta with Winter Vegetables

We were prepared for Nemo to hit. It seemed like all of Brooklyn was. At 3 p.m. on Friday, lines stretched into the aisles at the grocery store, and liquor sales were up 500 percent from a typical Friday. Our electronics were charged, we dug out the flashlights we had purchased for Sandy a few months earlier, and we pulled out our favorite board games.

Most importantly, we had Nutella. Nutella on crackers. Nutella with pretzels. Nutella with pecans.

And best of all, chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with Nutella and dulche de leche for breakfast. With mimosas and big cups of coffee.

Oh yes, you read that right. 

They were superb. The perfect breakfast for that we're in the middle of a blizzard so all normal breakfast rules get tossed right out the window kind of morning. 

I enjoyed every bite. 

Then I went outside. By 11 a.m., the sidewalks and streets near me were already cleared. 

By the time I got home, the reality of all that Nutella hit me. 

So I planned a much healthier meal for later in the day, loaded with roasted and sauteed winter vegetable that provide a perfect balance of sweetness and crunch. 

The farro pasta contributes a delightful, nutty flavor that takes pasta to a whole new level, and it's definitely worth hunting for. 

Brussels Sprouts and Apple-Cabbage Slaw Sandwich

As a kid, I didn't like brussels sprouts. I thought they were too bitter and boring. I quickly pushed them aside whenever they were served.


Today, I can't get enough of them (though I haven't ever blogged about them before). Chuko serves caramelized crispy brussels sprouts as one of its nightly appetizers, and they alone are worth the trip. I love them roasted in the oven, sauteed with butter and shallots and even raw when they're thinly sliced as salad.

Then, I found out that Endless Simmer rated the No. 7's Brussels Sprouts Sandwich as number two in its Top Ten Sandwiches of 2011. The sandwich featured brussels sprouts, apple slaw and peanuts atop a sandwich roll. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

This sandwich is a vegan paradise. It starts with a hearty base of sauteed brussels sprouts with dried cranberries and garlic. It's topped with a delicious apple-cabbage slaw that's got just a hint of cumin in it. A thick spread of roasted red pepper hummus finishes the sandwich off.

Delicious.

The components were addictive on their own, and after a day of brussels sprouts sandwiches, we eagerly enjoyed the leftovers.