Grilled Shrimp and Creamy Farro with Spinach and Sunflower Seeds

After creating this recipe, I ended up making this twice in one week. Needless to say, I recommend putting this on your dinner rotation for this week. The shrimp are wild caught, and I promise it makes all the difference.

Total Time: 50 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups of farro, toasted

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 shallot, diced 

1 cup of diced orange bell pepper

3 cloves of finely chopped garlic

3 cups of low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

3 cups of sliced spinach

1.5 lbs of wild caught jumbo shrimp (about 20 shrimp), peeled and deveined 

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (can substitute for fat-free dairy milk)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

¼ cup pecorino romano plus 2 tbsp 

½ cup toasted sunflower seeds

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Prepare the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly brush the grill with canola or vegetable oil.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast the farro, stirring frequently, until fragrant (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

3. Add the olive oil to the pan, then the onion, shallot and bell peppers. Sweat the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes. Season to taste.

4. Add 3 cups of low sodium broth and the toasted farro. Bring to a boil, then simmer and cover, stirring occasionally, for 15-17 minutes. Season to taste. 

5. Add the almond milk and butter. Stir vigorously for 3-5 minutes.

6. Lower the heat and add in the sunflower seeds and spinach. Season to taste. Turn off the heat.

7. On a flat plate or platter, place the shrimp and drizzle with canola or vegetable oil, and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to coat the shrimp. Grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.  

8. Spoon the creamy farro into shallow bowls and top with grilled shrimp and chopped parsley.