Go for the grains
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
There are all kinds of grains out there, and I don’t pretend to know all there is to know about them.
For years I held myself to the standards: oats, grits, rice. Then, one time I tried brown rice — that wasn’t so bad!
The next time I had some bulgur. It was great! (see the Tabouleh recipe below). And things went on from there: barley, wheat berries, quinoa, millet, couscous, risotto and so on.
Whole grains are nutrition-dense and overwhelmed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and essential fatty acids. They sustain energy longer than carbohydrates do, work to lower cholesterol and blood sugar, and may help prevent heart disease and some cancers.
Grains are simple to cook, easy to store and fairly inexpensive. They help stretch recipes, as we’ve seen rice and beans do earlier in this column. This information from www.foodnetwork.com is helpful.
Barley
has a nutty flavor and toothsome texture that is delicious in pilafs and holds up well in soups.
Cook it: Bring 1 cup barley and 2 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, 35-50 minutes. Makes 3-3 1/2 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 97 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 3 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 73 mg potassium.
Brown rice
has been minimally processed, just enough to sort and remove the inedible outer husk, leaving the nutritious outer bran layer intact. You can find brown versions of most types of rice, including short-,medium- and long-grain, jasmine and basmati.
Cook it: Bring 1 cup rice and 2 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40-50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Makes 3 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 108 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 42 mg potassium.
Bulgur
is made by parboiling, drying and coarsely grinding or cracking wheat berries. Don’t confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which is simply that—cracked wheat. Since the parboiling step is skipped, cracked wheat must be cooked for up to an hour.
Cook it: Bring 1 cup bulgur and 1 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 10-15 minutes. Makes 2 1/2-3 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 76 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 4 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 62 mg potassium.
Farro (emmer wheat)
has a satisfying chewy texture and nutty flavor. It can be used in baked goods and soups.
Cook it: Combine 1 cup farro and 2 cups water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the farro is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 3 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 111 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 0 mg sodium; 139 mg potassium.
Millet
is a grain with a mild nutty flavor, which can be enhanced by toasting the millet before cooking. It does not contain gluten, so may be tolerated by some people with celiac disease.
Cook it: Bring 2 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup millet. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, 20-25 minutes. Makes 3 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 104 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 54 mg potassium.
Quinoa
is a delicately flavored grain that was a staple in the ancient Incas’ diet. Toasting the grain before cooking enhances its flavor and rinsing removes any residue of quinoa’s natural, bitter protective covering.
Cook it: Toast 1 cup quinoa in a saucepan until fragrant. Rinse in several changes of cold water. Bring the quinoa and 2 cups water or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Makes 3 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 111 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 159 mg potassium.
Spelt
is a cereal grain with a mild nutty flavor. It has a higher protein content than wheat and may be tolerated by some people with celiac disease.
Cook it: Bring 2 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup spelt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, about 1 hour. Makes 3 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 123 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 139 mg potassium.
VVV
And now, some recipes. Don’t be afraid to try something new — you can get modest quantities at Nature’s Paradise to test-taste and then settle in and explore the ones you like best.
REGINA’S
“SQUASH BLOSSOM” TABOULEH
2 cups bulgur wheat
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Bring the bulgur and stock to a boil, then simmer 10 to 15 minutes and pour off any fluid that has not been absorbed (you can reuse this enriched stock, so refrigerate it). Cool to room temperature.
Toss bulgur and remaining ingredients together in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and allow to marinate for about an hour before serving. Delicious at room temperature, and not too bad chilled during the summer months. Serve as is, or stuff in a pita or a tomato with a sprinkle of feta cheese.
VVV
In this next recipe, you can use a lesser amount of dried herbs, but the fresh sage really makes a difference. You can tear the meat into bite-size bits and maybe cut the apples on an angle to jazz up the appearance.
WHEATBERRY SALAD
2 cups wheat berries
4 quarts water
1 cup celery, diced
1 lb. roasted turkey or chicken, diced
1 tart apple, cored, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
Dressing:
3 Tbsp. walnut oil (or corn oil)
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Bring the wheat berries and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about an hour. Drain well and cool. To make dressing, whisk together the oil, vinegar, Worcestershire and mustard. In a large bowl, combine the cooled wheat berries with the remaining ingredients and dressing and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.
VVV
MEDITERRANEAN
QUINOA
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded,
chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded,
chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
4 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 Tbsp. tomato puree
4 roma tomatoes, seeded,
chopped
Italian seasoning to taste
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and red, green and yellow peppers; cook and stir for about five minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for about two more minutes. Stir in the quinoa, vegetable stock and tomato puree.
Return to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, or until quinoa grains are soft. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and season with Italian seasoning. Cook until heated through, then serve.
VVV
This is a zesty Italianate salad that can be a meal in itself. Serve with some warm wheat rolls spread with sweet cream butter.
BARLEY ANTIPASTO
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups water
1 cup provolone cheese, cubed
1 cup (1/2 lb.) salami, diced
1 (16-oz.) can artichoke
hearts, drained, quartered
1 cup pepperoncini pepper rings, drained
3/4 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
8 medium white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup kalamata or black olives, pitted, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/3 - 1/2 cup Italian dressing
Bring barley and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, cover, reduce to low heat and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and water absorbed. Cool.
In a large bowl, combine the barley, cheese, salami, vegetables and herbs. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Just before serving, toss again, adding more dressing if necessary. Serve in a shallow bowl with some Italian bread or crostini. Stuff into a cup made from a bell pepper. Smear on slices of toasted bread, broil for one minute and serve as an appetize.! Big, bad barley.
VVV
Little, but still mighty millet is nutty, tender and tasty. It does well by itself, as in this recipe, or included in baked goods.
SKILLET MILLET
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup cooked millet, cooled
Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion until tender and lightly brown. Add millet and mix well. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.
VVV
And, what about spelt, an ancient grain used by the Egyptians? I usually see it in the flour form. Here is a versatile recipe for homemade crackers. The Spelt flour adds a different flavor than regular crackers, and the sesame seeds enhance that even more.
SPELT CRACKERS
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups white spelt flour, plus more for flouring surface
Coarse sea salt
Poppy and sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve the salt in cold water. Stir in the spelt flour until combined. Knead the dough a few turns until a ball forms.
Roll the dough out as thinly as possible. One way to do this is to flour an overturned 12-x-17-inch cookie sheet and roll out the dough on top of it, using as much flour as needed to prevent sticking, until the dough covers the sheet from edge to edge. If you set the baking sheet on a towel or dishcloth it won’t slide around. Otherwise, use some baking parchment or a silpat mat and that will make transferring the dough to a baking sheet (or a pizza pan) easier.
Using a spray bottle filled with water, spray the dough to give it a glossy finish. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt and/or seeds (optional). You can bake one large cracker and break it into pieces afterwards, or score it now into whatever shape you like for individual crackers. I use an old tracing wheel from my sewing kit to make the perforations which then can be broken neatly after baking.
Bake crackers on the cookie sheet until the dough is crisp and golden, checking at 10 minutes, and every few minutes after so that they don’t burn. Cool slightly and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 1 large cracker sheet
VVV
Would you like to learn even more? There will be a free lunchtime class at the Lyon County Extension Office on May 20 called “The Value of Whole Grains.” Call them up for more information at 341-3220.
Next week we will celebrate the opening of the baseball season with an article on hot dogs. Earth Day is coming — what do you do food-wise to be earth friendly? If you have any great ideas or recipes, send them on over to 517 Merchant St. or murphysmenu@yahoo.com. Let’s get cooking.