Sweet and Salty Beef and Farro Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Milk

As I sit here staring at a blank screen, I realize I have done it again.  I have left writing about this recipe long enough that I do not remember all of my adjustments.  On the one hand, I am frustrated.  We loved this dish and would consider it a repeater.  On the other hand, and I mean this as a compliment to the original, I think just about any adaptation of this dish would turn out great.  The flavors are just super yummy.  So I guess I will be linking it….

I found this through Pinterest–and I never forgot about it thanks to pinning it on my own board on Pinterest.  I know, I know, I go on and on about it.  But I love the site–if you need an invite, leave a comment and I will make sure you get one.

So anyway, about the recipe.  Kalyn’s recipe is diet-friendly; mine is not exactly unfriendly, but I did not make it with an eye toward any particular diet. Mine looks radically brighter but upon studying the photos I think it is the colors of the plates.  I used ground beef in place of turkey, I used agave syrup, not stevia, I think I used beef stock and maybe more of it (I kept it stew-like), I used a lot more onions, garlic and ginger and maybe half as much more sweet potato, and I added sweet bell peppers and zucchini, finishing it with green onions and cilantro.  My coconut milk was whole fat and my soy sauce was Chinese Superior Dark Soy Sauce.  I also cooked it all on the stovetop, in a Dutch oven.

But here is my most exciting change.  I cooked farro (there it is again! my new favorite ingredient!) in light coconut milk and chicken stock, seasoned it with fish sauce instead of salt, and then mixed it into the final stew.  It worked fantastically. I served the stew with with fish sauce and Sirracha for additional seasoning at the table.  It was absolutely delicious and super simple.

Don’t forget you have until midnight, February 11 to enter the giveaway for the OXO egg beater!