What fun food is!

Every Tuesday I spend a couple of hours with some wonderful women culminating in lunch at Whole Foods or a similar eating establishment. Yesterday many of us enjoyed grains one form or another, most often quinoa, cous cous or wheat berries. It was great fun.

I had a quinoa mixture that included spinach, pepper, onion and of course quinoa cooked in a vegetable or chicken broth with pine nuts added for additional texture. It was fabulous. At home I would have added basil or rosemary for an additional flavor but even as is it was terrific.

I continue to be impressed with the availability of alternative grains to the general population. While many of my friends are not "foodies" they are familiar with things such as quinoa, kasha, millet and cous cous and love them. We also often gravitate to polenta and whole wheat pasta as well. Our experience has been to consume a combination of quinoa, chick peas, cous cous and other grains with vegetables such as garlic, peppers and tomatoes both hot and cold. Cheese is often a welcome addition.

If you think any of these grains are difficult to either cook or eat you are mistaken. Cous cous is simply a form of pasta, typically it is not a whole grain but recently you can get cous cous in whole grain form. That simpy means that all three parts of the grain are included in the milling of this food. For those not familiar cous cous is a small circular pasta like shape and yes it is wheat although the gluten free folks have developed a similar product

I love polenta! While I can't say my family agrees, polenta based on corn and corn type products is wonderful. I add onion, garlic, peppers and whatever else is available. Remember that corn and anything made from it is gluten free. However cornbread is half corn and half wheat so that doesn't. comply. Let me know where you and your family falls and I'll be happy to give some suggstions as well as recipes that meet your needs. Many of the alternative grains including quinoa and wheat berries are available on line. Try googling the name of the grain (quinoa, wheat berry, millet, buckwheat groats, etc) as well as bobsredmill.com as they provide a number of products that might meet your needs.

In the meantime experiment with cornmeal and wheat berries to achieve wonderful whole grain alternatives. One of my favorites is wheat berry chili. http://wheatfoods.org/Wheat-Berry-Chili.177.1.htm) The recipe is available on the Wheat Foods Council website. The only precaution is to prepare the wheat berries so they are ready to be included. But it is worth it. By far this is the best chili recipe around and not only whole grain but really really whole grain with lots of fiber, bran and other phytonutrients. Enjoy!

Happy Healthy Eating!
Marcia

Amazing Grains

Beyond oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice and whole wheat flour there is a whole grain world out there that is getting closer and closer with the popularity of ethnic eating and creativity of American farmers. Consider these:

A is for Amaranth... this grain is not really a grain but it is used as one. Amaranth has a long history in Mexico and considered native of Peru. It is a beautiful plant with bright purple, red or gold flowers. It serves as an important food source in Africa, India and Nepal. A little closer to home, amaranth came to our attention in the US back in the 70s. Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and North Dakota all grow amaranth for human consumption. Specialty food stores carry this amaranth. You can also mail order from Bob's Red Mill (http://www.bobsredmill.com/). Here is an idea for using this grain:

Amaranth "Grits"

1 cup amaranth

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

salt and hot pepper sauce to taste

optional chopped or halved cherry tomato for garnish

Combine amaranth, garlic, onion and broth in medium saucepan.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 minutes.

Stir. Add salt to taste. Stir in a few drops of hot sauce if desired.

Garnish with tomato.

B is for Barley, Buckwheat and Bulgar... Barley is one of my favorites. As purchased it looks like small oatmeal. Right off the plant the barley has a very hard hull or outer shell. It is difficult to remove without taking away some of the bran. Lightly pearled barley is not technically a whole grain because of the missing bran but is equally nutritious. I add barley to soup, stews and salads. It's a wonderful grain and very healthy. Get some at your local grocer in the cereal section.

Buckwheat is used in pancake mixes, Japanese soba noodles, and kasha (buckwheat groats). You may know it better as Kashi - "7 whole grains on a mission". Check out some of the ideas from http://www.kashi.com/ as they have done an excellent job with recipe and product development as well as promotion.

Bulgar is also a favorite of mine. Buy it off the shelf and use it as a rice or potato substitute. While not exactly the same, cracked wheat and bulgar are essentially the same. My introduction to bulgar was years ago when I experimented with a tabouleah recipe. A mideastern favorite, tabouleah is a cold salad made with cooked bulgar, chopped tomatoes, parsley, green onions, mint and an olive oil/lemon juice marinade. It is one of my family's favorite picnic treat.

C is for Corn...and not just corn muffins and popcorn. Corn for human consumption is making a comeback in the US in interesting ways. While used as a vegetable off the cob, when ground into flour there are a variety of products that emerge. Corn tortillas, polenta, and masa harina to name a few. Grits is also a product of corn and can be made with whole grain corn as well as more refined.

We'll save quinoa, millet, rye, wheat berries and wild rice for another day. Until then enjoy whole grains in more and unusual ways - try them, I guarantee you will like them. Until then...

Happy, Healthy Eating,

Marcia

Remove the Whole Grain Mystery

Ever since refined flour became the preferred choice in the 1940's using whole grains has baffled cooks everywhere. A few simple rules coupled with some tricks of the trade easily demystifies the process creating delicious and nutritious choices.

First of all know your grains. When consumed in a form including the bran, endosperm and germ these products are considered whole grains. The most common include:

• Oats - including oatmeal (instant, quick and old-fashioned)
• Rice - whole grain referred to as brown rice
• Corn - both popcorn and cornmeal (as long as it is NOT degerminated)
• Wheat - whole wheat flour and bread as well as cracked wheat, bulgar and wheatberries

Not quite as common but familiar to many:

• Barley - terrific in soup and stews
• Rye - coarse flour used in Eastern European breads
• Buckwheat - common in pancakes, waffles
• Wild rice - not actually grain but used as one
  

Some examples of less familiar grains include:

• Quinoa
• Triticale
• Amaranth
• Millet

Oats and corn may be the easiest to add to our weekly fare in whole grain form. Popcorn is by definition and whole cornmeal used to make cornbread or polenta make those products whole grain foods. Oatmeal whether old fashioned, quick or instant is a whole grain. Quick cooking oats are simply cut in pieces and the instant form has been partially cooked for you but all contain the three essential parts to make them whole grains. Rice is easy as well. Simply choose brown rice which is available in grocery stores across the country. While it takes a little longer to cook, I just soak what I'm going to prepare in the water or broth while I'm doing other things. Then it cooks in no time! Quaker Oats (http://www.quakeroats.com/), USARice (http://www.usarice.com/) and the Whole Grains Council (http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/) are good sources for whole grain recipes using these products.

Wheat presents us with a lot more options. Whole wheat flour can be used to make bread, rolls or any other recipe that uses flour. I use it for cookies, thickening sauces and gravies and similar products. Here are some easy substitutions:

• Use half the white flour with whole wheat flour
• Replace 1/3 of the flour in a recipe with quick oats
• Add half a cup of cooked wild rice, barley or bulgar to bread stuffing
• Choose whole corn meal for your cornbread recipes and use whole wheat flour too
• Use oatmeal in meatloaf and hamburger mixtures

Tomorrow's post will focus on cooking tips for the more unusual whole grains including quinoa and using wheat berries in home cooking. It's easy, fun and really tasty!

Healthy, Happy Cooking,

Marcia

Fiber 101

The American Heart Association reports that soluble fiber found in many fruits and vegetables as well as oats, rice and barley has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol when eaten regularly as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The more insoluble fiber found in wheat bran and the skins and seeds of fruits and vegetables helps aid the digestion and give us a full feeling.
Some research also suggests that those with a high fiber intake tend to have a healthier body weight.

Both adults and kids often fall short of their recommended fiber intake. In fact, a national nutrition survey shows that most Americans consume about half of the recommended amount of fiber. Translation - we all need to find ways to add fiber to our diets if we want to improve our health, weight or otherwise. The key is focusing on fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Sound familiar? No matter how the messages are spun, controlling fat and calories and building up the amount of fiber-rich foods continue to be where emphasis is.

Any food made from whole grain wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grains will add fiber. That includes bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas and grits. Any meal that contains additional fruits and vegetables also add fiber. The form is not as important as the presence.

How? Try some of these:

• Make simple switches - substitute a whole grain product for more traditional white. That means trying whole grain bread for sandwiches, whole grain pasta or brown rice
• Snacks are good opportunities for fiber - choose whole grain crackers; leave on the peel of apples, peaches, pears or plums; try kiwi, strawberries and other fruits with seeds for snacks as seeds are a powerhouse of fiber
• Bake with whole grains - experiment by substituting whole-wheat or oat flour for half the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin, cookie or bread doughs.
• Mix in whole grains - add brown rice, barley or bulgur to soups, stews, casseroles or other mixed dishes. Supplement these same foods with a variety of vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, squash, mushrooms or whatever ones you prefer. Experiment and be creative.
• Know what to look for on the label - choose foods that name one of the following ingredients first on the label's ingredient list; brown rice, bulgur, oatmeal, graham flour, whole wheat, whole grain corn. Color means nothing in grain based foods. Darker pigments can be due to molasses, spices or coloring agents.

Be a good role model for the children in your life. Set a good example for friends, family and neighbors by choosing healthy fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Contribute to developing healthy palates and healthy bodies.

Healthy, Happy Eating!

Marcia