chicken, green bean, corn & farro salad w/ goat cheese

Yes, that might be the longest title yet! This was an awesome little "salad" I made last night that was pretty great.  I say "salad" because there's no lettuce in this puppy, which makes me think it's not a salad.  However, the recipe called it one, so we'll roll with it.  It features farro, which epicurious.com describes as "a nutty-flavored grain that's popular in Tuscany." It's a bit like rice, only not. You can find it in the Italian section of your supermarket, or at the local Italian specialty store. Onto the recipe, here's what you'll need:

• 1/2-3/4 cup semi-pearled farro
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1 package of frozen green bean/corn mix (mine had carrots and peas too)
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot (could probably use garlic here instead if you wanted)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Qty: 2-4 (depending on how big you like your salads)

Begin by cooking the farro in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes (just like rice). Then drain and cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper (I just found another bottle of Hot Shot by McCormick - a red/black pepper blend - LOVE). Add the chicken to skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Cool, then cut it into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes.

Steam the frozen vegetables per package directions and drain. (Sidenote: The original recipe called for all fresh corn and green beans. If you want to go that route, by all means. I took the lazy road and went with the frozen veggie melody. No regrets there :) Rinse under cold water to cool and drain.

Mix the farro, chicken, and veggies in a large bowl and add the veggies and green onion.

Combine remaining olive oil, oregano, and salt in small bowl. Press with the back of a spoon to release the flavor. Whisk in the vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Pour over the salad in the bowl and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Finish with a sprinkle of goat cheese and you're done.

I know some people are weary of goat cheese, but I have to say, that really made the dish. The flavor counteracts the strong flavors of vinegar and mustard in a really interesting way.

Also, I'm not one to provide vegetarian recipes. However, this is probably a good option if that's your thing. The chicken is really a side player here, and could easily be replaced with tofu or eliminated altogether. But if you know me, you know I'd never do a meal without meat :)

Bon chappétit!