Wooooo monday!

^^That was only half sarcastic. Mostly because of this farro & garbanzo bean bowl that you NEED to make for lunch and/or dinner this week. In fact, you need to make it today. It’ll make your Monday worth it.

We had an awesome weekend, so I’m pretty sad Monday is here. My parents were in town for a very special event – namely, the Norton! About 4 and a half years ago, when AJ and I had been dating for only 6 months or so, we went down to visit my parents. This may or may not have been the first time they met, but I’m not sure.

Anyway, we went in to my parents garage at one point and AJ, the wheel-and-engine-obsessed man that he is, noticed a heap of metal and old, old rubber hidden beneath a work bench and behind a pile of things that a family of 4 collects over the years and shoves in the garage.

AJ couldn’t help himself, and asked what it was. Turns out it was a Norton, or a “Not-run” as my family called it. My dad bought it back in 1979 as a non-op, and kept it with him ever since. He had planned to restore it, but never got around to it….

Long story short, my dad (very very cautiously) let AJ take the bike, and AJ has worked on restoring it ever since. It has moved 5 or 6 times with my parents as they moved around Southern California, and 4 times with AJ and I as we moved around SLO. And finally, over 35 years later, it is done.

AJ presented it to my dad at our wedding, which was really cool, but it wasn’t quite done yet. 6 months later, my parents drove up here to register it at the DMV (with an extra trip to the CHP for extra funzies). Then, my dad took it for it’s maiden voyage up into the hills behind SLO and over into Avila Beach. He had a smile as wide as a 5 year old on Christmas morning, and it was so, so great to see all of AJ’s hard work come to fruition. It made me so happy 😊❤😍

So now my parents are gone (and they took the Norton! 😢) but it’s going home to the person who has loved it for over 35 years, and knew that someday it would live again.

So after a crazy weekend like that, Monday comes as a bit bittersweet. It definitely calls for an easy but delicious lunch, which is why I’m giving you this Farro & Garbanzo Bean bowl. If you are lucky enough to be able to make this fresh in the middle of the day for lunch, I highly recommend it. If not, then make it for dinner, and treat yourself to the leftovers for lunch.

It’s very simple, but has delicious flavors. I really recommend topping it with your favorite hot sauce, like Pepper Plant (it’s amaaaaaazing). If you’re feelin cheezy, you can add some pecorino romano or parmesan on top for some extra salty deliciousness.

Since I already typed a bajillion words in the post already, I’ll just leave you with the photos of this dish, since they really speak for themselves. If you can’t quite understand what they are saying, it’s “GO MAKE THIS NOW!!!” Really subtle, I know. XO!

Ingredients

• 8 oz quick-cook farro (I buy the little blue bags at Trader Joe’s)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 veggie sausages*
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• pinch salt
• 2 big handfuls spinach
• fresh cracked black pepper
• hot sauce (I love Pepper Plant)

Instructions

1. Cook the farro according to package directions. The quick-cook stuff should only take 10-15 minutes.
2. Slice the veggie sausages lengthwise down the middle, then into 1/4″ half moons.
3. Heat a pan with the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the sliced sausages. Cook, tossing with a spatula often, until starting to turn golden.
4. Rinse & drain the garbanzo beans, then add to the pan with the veggie sausages. Continue to cook, tossing often, until the garbanzos are heated through. You may need to add a bit more oil to keep them from sticking to the pan.
5. Add the cumin, paprika, and salt and toss. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a bit of freshly cracked black pepper.
6. Serve with the farro on the bottom topped with the garbanzo bean mixture, and finish with your favorite hot sauce (Pepper Plant!).