Nutritious cereal for the nation
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
March 7 is National Cereal Day — hurrah!
According to my sources, this holiday is intended to commemorate the anniversary of the invention of corn flakes by William and John Kellogg in 1897.
The cereal you buy in a box at the store may have some issues. It may have been processed to the point of starch, then enhanced with sugars to improve the taste. No protein, no fiber, no vitamins: that’s sad.
Get back to nature! Use the original, unrefined grains and you will ingest a wealth of nutrients in a small package. Grains have been the staple foods of many civilizations for thousands of years. Wheat, barley, oats and rye in Europe; maize and quinoa in the Americas; rice in the East; and millet in Africa. If you buy a box of cereal, look over the ingredient list for these whole grains so you will receive the best benefit.
Cereal is a seed: a kernel of corn, an oat groat, a millet seed. Like all seeds, cereals are very nutritious because they contain all the nutrients the embryo plant needs to start growing.
Unrefined cereals are great sources of proteins, carbohydrates and B vitamins and also contain some fiber, fat, iron, vitamin E and trace minerals. Some cereals (wheat, barley, rye, most oats) contain gluten, which is essential for breadmaking but an allergen for people with celiac sprue. Celiac sprue sufferers have other grains they can choose, thank goodness.
Keep your cereal in airtight containers in a cool, dark, dry place. Whole grains can be stored for up to two years; flaked, cracked grains and flours should be used within 2-3 months. Flours can be made into pasta or bread, which can then be frozen for later consumption.
Generally, you cook a cereal by boiling the required amount of water, adding the grain, stirring once, covering with a tight-fitting lid and simmering for the required cooking time or until the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff it up and eat with your choice of butter, yogurt, milk, fruit — whatever tickles your fancy.
I did a little calling around town and you have plenty of choices for your cereal selection. The biggest variety is available at Nature’s Paradise on West Sixth Avenue. Steve Spencer there said he’s got — in bulk — some wonderful granolas. He has “Granola Gone Nuts,” which is their most popular mix and contains sunflower seeds and almonds. Then there’s French Vanilla Almond, Pumpkin Flax Plus, Sunflower Pumpkin Seed, Chocolate Delight, and Big Sky, which is a baked granola that comes in big chunks so you can break off just what you need.
You could make your own combination, too, from Nature’s Paradise’s choice of rolled oats — including one that is gluten-free — and selections from their many dried fruits, nuts and bulk honey dispenser. Just throw it all in a bag and eat “as is” for a snack, or float in a bowl of milk for breakfast.
Amanda at Amanda’s Bakery makes a special house blend of granola that’s full of oats, walnuts, almonds and honey. You can get it to go or sit down with some coffee and a cereal bowl while you enjoy the aroma of baking bread.
How about some recipes? These came from www.mrbreakfast.com, a very fun Web site!
AMISH OATMEAL
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Warm or cold milk to serve
Fresh fruit, brown sugar, or other
preferred topping
Combine the first eight ingredients and mix well. Spread evenly in a greased 9-x-13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges get golden brown.
Immediately spoon into bowls and add milk. Top with fruit and brown sugar, if desired.
COCONUT GRANOLA
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup raisins
In a large bowl combine the oats, walnuts, wheat germ, sunflower seeds and coconut. In a saucepan, on medium heat, stir margarine, brown sugar, honey, oil, extract syrup and salt and raisins together until well mixed. Pour over oat mixture and stir to coat evenly.
Pour onto a well-greased baking pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an airtight container.
FRUIT AND RICE CEREAL
1 1/2 cups water
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice
1/3 cup mixed dried fruits, chopped
as needed
1/2 cup lowfat or soy milk
A dash of ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
In a large saucepan bring water and salt to the boiling point. Add rice and dri ed fruit. Cover and simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until the rice is tender and liquid is nearly all absorbed. Stir in milk, nutmeg and brown sugar.
SUPER GRANOLA
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup honey
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup popcorn, finely ground
1/8 cup wheat germ
2 tsp. sunflower seeds
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup raisins, craisins or other
dried fruit
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toast coconut on parchment for about 6 minutes until lightly toasted. Allow coconut to cool to room temperature.
In a small saucepan over low heat, stir butter and honey until butter is melted and well-combined.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, popcorn, wheat germ, sunflower and sesame seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add honey-butter and peanut butter to the oat mixture and stir until well-combined.
Squeeze together a few chunks to create oat clusters. Place on lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Remove from oven. Toss with dry fruit, stir and allow to cool. Serve with milk and fresh fruit. Stores well in a sealed container for two weeks.
EXCELLENT GRANOLA
1 1/2 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
6 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine oats, sugar, walnuts, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Then mix in the oil well. In a separate bowl combine the water and vanilla. Pour liquids into dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten evenly. Spread granola out evenly onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 250 degrees until dry, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow granola to cool in pan. Store in airtight container in a cool place.
The American Cereal Council says most Americans consume 160 bowls of box cereal a year. I’m a big fan of multi-grain Cheerios and Frosted Mini-Wheats, but I plan to add some variety by mixing up my own — and so can you.
VVV
I was so pleased to see the Friends & Family photo on Tuesday the 24th! Mildred Bura, a long-renowned baker of pies and cakes, took under her wing two young men who wanted to learn how to bake a pie. Luke Larson and Gene Whitson were guided from the peeling of the apples to the browning of the top crust to bake their very own apple pies, just like Mildred’s. Kudos to the first graduating class of Bura University!
Oh, the Irish are a jumping out of the woodwork these next few weeks, so I hope you will enjoy our authentic Irish food column on March 11. For our mid-March extravaganza, how about looking at some cake recipes? Do you have a favorite cake recipe to share? Send it in to Murphy’s Menu, 517 Merchant St., or murphysmenu@yahoo.com. Let’s get cooking.