Cooking Tips for Whole Grains

Secret Recipe!

Whole Grains: Cooking Tips Cooked whole grains - served individually or in combination with one another - not only make a wonderful, filling, highly textured hot cereal for breakfast but you can also add them to salads, soups, as a bedding for meat dishes and even as a crust for pies and quiche. BUYING: If you are up for some adventure, visit the bulk bins at your natural food store and take a chance on buying something you've never heard of! Very often the store will post cooking recommendation.s The internet is packed with great recipes. Don't be afraid to experiment!  Be Creative! Buy small amounts of several kinds of grains and get cooking! PREPARATION:  The preparation for ALL whole grains is about as basic as it gets: If you can boil water, you can cook whole grains. In fact, boiling water is all you need to do. After that, the grains basically cook themselves.  The Secret Formula is 2:1.  One part grain to 2 parts water. That's it, 2:1. You can cook them on a stove, in a rice cooker, in a steamer or an electric skillet. TIP:  I travel with my electric skillet and I use it to cook my grains and roast my veggies! Some grains need to cook longer than others, and different types absorb varying amounts of water. Like pasta, you can adjust the "crunchiness" of grains based on the amount of water you use, the cooking time and whether you decide to "fluff" the grains after you cook them. 1. Rinse: Just prior to cooking, rinse whole grains thoroughly in cold water until the water runs clear.  Then strain them to remove any dirt or debris. TIP:  This is especially true for quinoa. Quinoa seeds are covered with saponin, which is a bitter substance that is part of the plant's defense mechanism. It is extremely bitter and forms a soapy solution in water. In order to make the seed taste less bitter, the saponin must be removed, traditionally done by hand-scrubbing and adequate rinsing in a fine mesh sieve.  Confession: I have cooked and eaten unwashed, packaged quinoa without rinsing it first and it not only tasted fine to me but it did not kill me. 2. Cook: As a general rule, you can cook whole grains by simply boiling the water, then adding the grain, return water to a boil, then simmer, covered, until tender . Cooking Hint: Change what you cook grains IN to add MORE flavor! Don't stick to cooking grains in only water, try cooking your grains in one of these ... Broth: Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, Mushroom Broth - Try enhancing broth with cooking wine, or vinegar.  Or try a broth made with spices! Juice: Apple, Pomegranate, Cranberry, Grape Tea: Green, Herb, Pumpkin Spice Thinned Tomato sauce:  for Spanish Rice 3. Test: Just like pasta, always test whole grains for doneness before taking them off of the heat; most whole grains should be slightly chewy when cooked. 4. Fluff: For a fluffy result, lightly comb through the cooked grains with a fork to let the steam escape. If you like the grains to be more like porridge, keep the pot covered after removing it from the heat, and let it sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes before serving. Interesting Fact:  Some grains are not really grains at all. Pseudo-grains are broadleaf plants (non-grasses) that are used in much the same way as cereals (true cereals are grasses). Their seed can be ground into flour and otherwise used as cereals. Examples of pseudo-grains are amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat.