Breakfast Farro with Caramelized Banana, Strawberries and Coconut Milk

Hi there my friends, it has been a long while.  There has been a severe shortage of posting over here in the last couple of months and I am looking forward to re-opening this creative corner of my life again.

My excuse during this time of absence was that we were remodeling our kitchen, but that was not the only thing going on at our house.  In addition to the kitchen remodel, we finished years of projects that were never all the way completed (anyone who DIY's house projects feels my pain) all because we are officially listing our house for sale!  It is an exciting time in our lives.

To be quite honest, I don't know that either of us has ever worked so hard before.  Work.  Come home.  Paint. Hammer.  Glue.  Sand.  Go to bed.  Repeat.  As if remodeling the kitchen and selling the house wasn't enough, we completed this mission during The Cyclist's last semester of school, in which he also completed a massive senior project.  While he spent hours in the lab (on top of everything else) I was on Munchkin duty. I commend all single parents because it is a hard job to do by yourself, even part-time.

Although in the midst of all the dust flying I did manage to squeeze out one post, but honestly it was only because I committed to a deadline.  However, that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking and enjoying our new kitchen......I'm just going to have to make those items again in order to photograph them.  :)

One of the many positive things that has come from all of this madness is eating out.  Even though increasing our restaurant dining was harder on the wallet, it does provide some inspiration.  A dinner at  Red Rabbit introduced me to my first taste of farro and got my mind churning.....we could eat this for breakfast too, right?  Yes, yes we can.

Farro is "the grains composed of certain wheat species" and I've also heard it referred to as one of the Seven Ancient Grains.  It is similar to oatmeal, but a bit thicker and chewier.  I bought farro at Trader Joe's and my local co-op.  The Trader Joe's version - 10 Minute Farro is more convenient for this recipe simply because it cooks faster.  I am typically in a hurry in the morning, so using the TJ's version is just easier.  In my opinion both types taste the same.

I got rave reviews for this breakfast in my house so we have had it several times since creating the recipe.  I have since added fresh apricots to the mix (caramelized with the bananas) and it is delish!  This is a good recipe to experiment with seasonal fruit.  I like leaving the strawberries fresh (as opposed to caramelized  because their cold sweetness adds to the overall texture.  Additionally, this has been kid tested and given thumbs up by The Munchkin as well.  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup farro
2 cups water
1/2 can coconut milk (or 7oz of the 14oz can)
1 banana, sliced
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 strawberries, pitted and sliced

How to:
Combine farro and water in a pot and begin cooking on high.  Watch out, once boiling it will boil over. Continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes on medium-high heat once it starts boiling.  (This is the way I cooked it, I honestly did not read the instructions on the package, so they may say something different).
While the farro is cooking, slice banana and strawberries.
Melt 2 teaspoons coconut oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Add sliced banana and stir.  Add tablespoon of brown sugar and stir to coat banana slices.  Continue to saute until banana slices are slightly browned. Remove from heat.
Drain any remaining water from farro and give it a stir.  Return pot of farro to stove on low heat.  Add 1/2 can of coconut milk and stir.  Continue heating until coconut milk is fairly warm.  Add cinnamon and salt.
Spoon farrow into bowls, top with caramelized banana and cold strawberries.
Serves 4 small servings, 2 large servings or Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear juuust right.
Enjoy!