Nourish: Great Grains

Last Tuesday was the first meeting of Nourish – a healthy eating group I’m leading at Divine Yoga. We talked a little bit about what our goals were for eating healthier and what it meant for us. Then we moved onto our featured theme for June - grains. One of the activities we did was a game to identify the grain dry, and cooked. I gave everyone a list of 11 grains that I had prepared. Some were easier than others!

Buckwheat
Quinoa
Red Quinoa
Wheatberries
Spelt Berries
Bulgur
Amaranth
Millet
Hulled Barley
Pearled Barley
Wild Rice

Here are some of the recipes that were shared:

Blackberry Barley Breakfast Bake

Makes 6-9 servings

Ingredients:

· 3 cups cooked hulled barley

· 2 large eggs, whisked

· ½ tsp ground cinnamon

· Pinch sea salt

· ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

· 1 tsp agave or honey

· ¼ cup chopped raw almonds

· ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

· 1 cup blackberries, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients except blackberries in a large bowl.

3. Cut ½ cup blackberries in half and gently fold into mix.

4. Spread mixture in baking pan. Top with other ½ cup blackberries (also cut in half)

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until barley is set.

6. Cut into 6 or 9 squares. Eat alone or serve topped with yogurt

Nutrition:

When cut into 9 squares: 158 calories, 5.6g fat, 41mg cholesterol, 44mg sodium, 157mg potassium, 24.3 carbs, 6.3g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 4.9g protein

When cut into 6 squares: 237 calories, 8.4g fat, 61mg cholesterol, 66mg sodium, 235mg potassium, 36.5g carbs, 9.5g fiber, 2.1g sugar, 7.3g protein

 

Back On Track Wheat Berry and Bean Salad

By Angela Liddon (Oh She Glows)

Yield: 7.5-8 cups

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup dry wheat berries, cooked and drained

2 cups cooked navy beans (or cannellini beans)

1 English cucumber, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 large tomato, diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup fresh parsley, diced with large stems removed

4 green onions, diced

Kosher salt + pepper, to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste (I used 2 tbsp)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp hot mustard (I used regular)

1 tbsp Tamari

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, soak the wheat berries overnight in cold water. The next day, drain the wheat berries and place in a medium sized pot, covered in 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Drain and cool.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the diced vegetables (cucumber, red pepper, tomato, minced garlic, parsley, green onions). Add in cooked and drained navy beans (or other bean of choice) and stir.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, Tamari, fresh lemon juice). Set aside.

4. When the wheat berries are ready, drain and rinse and then stir into the salad. Add the dressing just before serving and stir well. Now season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

5. Yield: 7.5-8 cups.

 

The Energy Millet Salad

By beyondthepeel.net

Ingredients:

· 1 cup dry millet

· 2 cups of vegetable stock or water with 1/2 tsp of salt (or up to 3 1/2 cups of liquid, read notes below)

· 1/2 cup of raisins

· 1/2 cup chopped almonds

· 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

· 3 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

· 3 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds

· 1 cup of finely chopped parsley

· 2 Tbsp olive oil

· 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

· 1 Tbsp honey

· salt and pepper to taste

· Garnished with chopped pear and crumbled feta or goat cheese

Directions:

1. In a medium sized pot, toast 1 cup of millet seeds over medium high heat until they start to pop and become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, add the raisins and cover. Allow the steam to continue cooking the millet for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and place in a large salad bowl.

2. On a baking tray, combine all the nuts and seeds and toast in a 375 F oven until golden and fragrant. About 10 minutes.

3. Combine the millet, nuts and seeds together once they have cooled. Add the parsley.

4. For the salad dressing, combine the oil, vinegar and honey together and whisk until well blended. Add the dressing to the salad and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve with greens, chopped pear or apple and crumbled goat cheese or feta.

Note: If you’re new to cooking millet you may choose to start with 3 cups of stock and drain any extra liquid that remains, once the millet reaches the desired texture. I find that 2 cups works great, but I also allow the steam to finish the work for about 10 minutes after I remove it from the heat.

Makes 8 cups.  1 cup = 286 calories.

 

Mushroom & Onion Amaranth

Serves 4

Ingredients:

· 1 onion, chopped

· 8oz mushrooms, chopped

· 1 TB olive oil

· Chopped fresh oregano

· 1 cup cooked amaranth

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

· Cook amaranth – 1:3 ratio, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well. Rinse if you have a very fine strainer

· Heat oil in skillet on medium heat and add in onions, sauté until starting to get translucent

· Add in mushrooms, mix well and sauté

· When mushrooms are cooked, add in cooked amaranth and chopped fresh oregano. Season with salt and pepper

Makes a great quick side dish!

 

Lentil Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients:

· 1 cup lentils

· 1 1/2 cup bulgur wheat

· 2 TB olive oil

· 2 TB lemon juice

· 2 TB red wine vinegar

· 1/2 TB honey

· 1 clove garlic, minced

· 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (I used a mix of curly and italian)

· 1 carrot, chopped small

· 1/2 small onion chopped (or 1/4 red onion)

· 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

· 2 TB pine nuts (toasted if you have time)

· handful of spinach, roughly chopped

· sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place lentils in medium pot, fully covered in water. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes or until tender but not falling apart. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2. Place bulgur wheat in small pot with 1 cup water. Heat until simmering, then turn off heat, cover and set aside for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and drain any excess water.

3. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic and vinegar. Set aside

4. In a medium bowl combine cooked lentils, bulgur, parsley, onion, carrot, cucumber, spinach. Drizzle oil mixture over salad and toss well. Season with salt and pepper (and some Spike seasoning if you have it). Garnish with pine nuts.

5. Chill, covered at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

This recipe could be adapted according to what veggies you have on hand. Add in diced or cherry tomatoes or diced green pepper if you have them. 

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

by Whole Foods (recipes shared by Kelly)

Serves 8

Wheat berries are the mother grain from which pasta, bread and flour are derived. Little wheat berries pack a nutlike flavor and are pleasantly chewy. Use a crunchy, firm, sweet-tart apple (such as Granny Smith or Gala) for this salad. From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked wheat berries
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Put wheat berries into a large bowl, cover with at least 2 inches of water and set aside to let soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.
   
2. Put 7 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add wheat berries, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, or until cooked through. (Wheat berries retain a firm, chewy texture when cooked.) Drain and set aside to let cool.
   
3. Transfer wheat berries to a large bowl. Add walnuts, apples, raisins, parsley, vinegar, apple juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, olive oil and lemon juice and mix everything together thoroughly.

Nutrition

Per serving: 400 calories (140 from fat), 15g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 11g protein, 61g total carbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 19g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium

Quinoa and Black Beans

from SparkPeople.com

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

 

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
   
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
   
3. Stir frozen corn and scallions into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 158.0
• Fat: 2.2g
• Carbohydrates: 28.8g
• Protein: 6.8g

 

And a few more favorite grain dishes I’ve made:

• Spicy Quinoa Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Pineapple Quinoa Bowl
• Quinoa Berry Salad
• Roasted Veggie Bulgur Pilaf
• Polenta with Greens and Eggs
• Golden Beets and Sweet Potato Salad with Wheat Berries
• Spicy Fire Roasted Tomato, Kale & Bean Soup
• Farro Roasted Veggie Salad
• Amaranth Clusters (a sweet healthy treat!)
• Mexican Barley Salad

 

Next Month’s Nourish features a field trip to the South Lyon Farmer’s Market!

Wednesday, July 18th 4:30-6pm
Divine Yoga Company, South Lyon

FREE!

Join us to talk about eating local, when to choose organic, questions to ask and look for at the Farmer’s Market, and storing fresh fruits and veggies. We’ll share ideas for cooking with vegetables that may be new to us, how to plan meals when shopping the farmer’s market and eating seasonally.