Monday, January 23, 2012

Cooking Guide to Grains

Cooking grains is very easy and it doesn't take long. Here is a handy cooking guide with some ideas for flavor additions.

QUINOA    (pronounced Keen-Wah)  
A mild yet satisfying flavor, with a texture like pasta. Goes well with anything.
Serve cold or hot

While cooking you can add chopped or pressed garlic, onions, broth, herbs, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, etc.

QUINOA    (Keen-Wah)  

Rinse Quinoa thoroughly
1 C Quinoa
2 Cups liquid (water or broth)
½ to 1 tsp salt
Bring water to boil, add Quinoa and salt
Cook (simmer) 15 minutes, let stand 5 min
Yield 3+ cups
Goes well with anything

MINI DISH  of QUINOA

Rinse thoroughly,
½ Cup Quinoa
1 Cup Water (or broth)
¼ salt
Bring water to boil, add Quinoa and salt. Simmer 10 to 15 min
Let stand 5 min. 


AMARANTH
A great taste, like corn and a silken texture, makes its own silky smooth broth.

While cooking you can add chopped or pressed garlic, onions, unsalted broth, herbs, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, etc. NOTHING with SALT added. I like it plain with chicken flavor broth added at the end.

AMARANTH
Do not rinse, too small. DO NOT SALT WHILE COOKING.

1 C Amaranth
2 ½ Cups Liquid (water or UNsalted broth, Not even tomato juice- too salty)
Bring to boil, Add Amaranth only, cover, 
cook (simmer) 20-25 minutes.
Add ½ to 1 tsp salt after cooking or add broth powder (chicken is good) to flavor.   

Yield 2 Cups
Goes well with beans or red lentils, I don’t mix it together with other grains tho, I like it plain.

MINI DISH of AMARANTH
½ Cup Amaranth
1 ¼ Cup water
Bring water to a boil, add Amaranth, cover, reduce heat
Simmer 15 to 20 min. Add salt or broth powder right after it’s done.

CRACKED WHEAT
Wheat flavor, deep and robust, and chewy, yet still able to blend with many other vegetables, beans and other grains. Good cold or hot. It makes a great cold salad with scallions and chopped fresh tomatoes, lemon juice or a dressing.

While cooking you can add chopped or pressed garlic, onions, broth, herbs, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, etc


Bulgur is cracked wheat but pre-cooked, more processed, cooks faster and is slightly lighter in texture and flavor.


CRACKED WHEAT
Rinse
1 ½ C Cracked Wheat         
3 C Water, stock, or Broth (I use good broth powder)              
½ t salt (If broth is salty cut salt.)
1 clove pressed garlic (optional)
Bring water to boil, add wheat and salt. Cover, simmer until wheat is desired texture, about 20 to 30 min. If too much water left for taste, drain it off.  
Yield About 3 ½ cups
Especially good with onions, tomatoes and good Olive oil
Can be added to other grain or bean and mixed except Amaranth.

Can also add tomato juice to the cooking water to anything but Amaranth (salty)

MINI DISH of CRACKED WHEAT
½ cup Cracked Wheat
1 Cup Water
Pinch Salt
Bring to boil, add wheat and salt, cook covered about 15 min.

COUSCOUS
Whole wheat is best, otherwise you are getting mainly white flour. Couscous is really tiny pieces of pasta. Texture smooth and creamy.

While cooking you can add chopped or pressed garlic, onions, broth, herbs, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, etc

COUSCOUS
1/3 Cup Couscous
2/3 Cup water, milk or broth (tomato juice is good too)
pinch Salt
1 teaspoon (OPTIONAL) Olive oil or butter

In Medium saucepan combine water with any of the optional salt, oil or butter. Bring just to a boil , stir in Couscous and COVER. Remove from heat immediately and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and eat.
Couscous makes a great base for any vegetables, stew or stir-fry. Add parmesan cheese to it with any appropriate meal, really excellent.   

Microwave Couscous

In 2 Quart casserole add water and opt salt. Microwave on high until boiling. Add Couscous and optional oil, stir and cover. Let stand 5 minutes, fluff with fork and eat.





Friday, January 13, 2012

The Great Grain Quest


 Picture: Starting at left and going clockwise: Quinoa, Amaranth, Cracked Wheat, and (bottom) Bulgur

One of my New Year's resolutions is to eat more whole grains. I pledged that last year too...and I did eat grains, just not as often as I would like. If you would like to read a great website for a definition of whole grains and get a list of them, here is a link:  http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/definition-of-whole-grains

Why eat whole grains? They are full of vitamins and minerals and right next to fresh vegetables they are the best thing you can give your body. Actually they are a perfect accompaniment to vegetables and being a vegetarian, they also provide me plenty of protein. 

Over the past few years I have added these whole grains to my diet:

Quinoa
Cracked Wheat
Bulgur
Amaranth
Brown Rice
Whole Wheat Couscous (Couscous is really pasta in disguise but I tell myself that I can get away with it because I buy only the whole wheat, not the white.)  

Now all the dieticians are screaming to add whole grains to your meal and as far as I know, no one is listening. There are several reasons for this:

1) The big carb scare of the ‘90s: this was the time when we were all warned how carbs of any kind were going to turn us all into diabetics or blimps. It is true that diabetics have to be very careful of how many carbs they consume but as far as I know (and you should check me on this) if the grains are whole diabetics can eat more of them safely. As far as weight gain, whole grains fill you up fast and because they are protein they burn slowly in the body and keep you satisfied, so nutrient dense that every calorie counts!    

2) When it comes to buying and cooking grains most people wouldn’t know where to start. There are many kinds of grains out there and they look rather work intensive and intimidating.

3) Without a little know how in the kitchen whole grains can have all the flavor and texture of beach sand.

So I am going on a little quest to cook a grain a week and find something (like sauces) along the way to perk them up and give them a special place at the table. I never want to eat something just because it is good for me. I want to look forward to having it and enjoy the benefits as a bonus! I’ll be posting results soon.