And the healthy eating continues...

So, you know how I like to try new recipes? I may have gotten in a little over my head last night...I got 3 pans, two bowls, my food processor and a number of spoons and knives dirty concocting this meal I saw in a health and fitness magazine I pilfered from work!  I have to admit, it turned out very well, but was way too much work for the Mommy of a 3-year-old who was not happy I was spending so much time in the kitchen instead of "entertaining" her!

Of course, I "tweaked" the recipe a bit, but I'll give you the original recipe and then note what I changed. So here it is in all it's glory: 

Grilled Sirloin with Artichoke Pesto and Farro Salad

2/3 cup farro

2 whole artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained

1 cup fresh basil, loosely packed

1 Tbl. sliced almonds (I omitted)

2 garlic cloves, one whole, one minced

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed

3 Tbl. grated Parmesan

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbl. olive oil

3 Tbl. water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup yellow onion, diced

2 cups chopped kale

2 Tbl. white Balsamic vinegar

2 8-ounce sirloin steaks

Preheat oven to 400.  Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil.  Add the farro and cook until just tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain, return to pot and set aside.  Meanwhile, combine the artichoke hearts, basil, almonds, whole garlic clove, parsley and one tablespoon of the Parmesan in a blender or food processor.  Pulse, drizzling in the 1/4 cup of oil and 2 tablespoons of the water.  Blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over the squash and add 1/4 tsp. each of the salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and roast 20-25 minutes, until tender.

By the way, this is an AWESOME way to prepare butternut squash! It was sweet, savory and oh so yummy!

Heat the remaining oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions and minced garlic; cook 3-5 minutes.  Add the kale and the remaining water.  Saute until kale is wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the roasted squash and farro to the skillet.  Top with the remaining Parmesan, some chopped parsley and the balsamic vinegar.  Add some salt and pepper to taste; toss and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through.  Heat a grill pan over medium high heat; cook steaks 4-5 minutes a side, then remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.  Slice steaks across the grain into 1/2-inch strips.  Top with artichoke pesto and serve with farro salad.

*The original recipe called for farro, which I could not find at my supermarket, so I used barley instead. My husband grilled chopped sirloin steaks on the grill, and they worked fine as substitutes.  The best part of the meal was the artichoke pesto, and I have enough left over to toss with pasta for another meal - mmm!

*I altered the pesto recipe to accommodate the can of artichoke hearts I had, and my lack of FRESH herbs:

14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts in water

1 Tbl. dried basil

2 tsp. dried minced garlic

1 Tbl. dried parsley flakes

1 Tbl. Parmesan

1/4 cup olive oil

Pulse in a blender or food processor until smooth. It will be more like a paste than a runny pesto, but tastes AWESOME!