The grains:QuinoaImagine you're a European settler looking for new food sources during the 1600s. You find the potato and adapt easily to its flavor, then you find corn and it tastes pretty good. Then you find a small, EXTREMELY bitter grain that the natives eat like crazy. One taste and you're back to corn and potatoes. Welcome to quinoa. Quinoa (generally pronounced KEEN-wah, but kee-NO-ah and KEE-no-ah are also common pronunciations) is an incredibly delicious grain that easy to cook.
Nutrition:
-Full of all 9 essential amino acids, particularly lysine, an amino acid that is lacking in wheat and corn.
-loaded with protein, giving it a relatively low glycemic index rating
-packed with incredible amounts of nutrients.
Preparation:
-if the package doesn't indicate it is rinsed, soak for about 15 minutes, then drain the water and rinse the quinoa one more time. (Natural quinoa has a bitter coating as a natural defense against birds, so it's not a bad idea to wash pre-rinsed grain anyway).
-Boiling is the easiest method, simply use two parts water, for every one part quinoa. It should only take 15-20 minutes to cook
-Quinoa substitutes well for almost any recipe calling for rice (although I'm still working on perfecting in in a risotto).
-It can be ground into flour and used in virtually any recipe except yeast bread as quinoa doesn't form the necessary gluten network to allow bread to rise (but it's killer in cornbread).
Bulgur WheatAlthough Bulgur Wheat is commonly confused with cracked wheat, there is a marked difference, cracked wheat can come from virtually any variety of wheat and is not par boiled. "Bulgur," on the other hand is almost exclusively from duram wheat, and is cooked and then dried. I'll be bringing in a traditional Kibbi, (a meat dish made from the recipe of my wife's Lebanese grandmother). The taste is mildly nutty with a chewy texture.
Nutrition:
-Rich in fiber (twice as much fiber per cup as brown rice)
-relatively high in niacin, potassium, and phosphorous (when compared to other traditionally used grains)
Preparation:
-Pour two parts boiling water/stock/broth over one part bulgur, let rest for 30 minutes. Fluff with a fork then add spices/vegetables/salt. Eat. Really, it's that easy.
-Use anywhere the recipe calls for rice or couscous.
Other noteworthy grains
-Amaranth (really small grain that pops like popcorn, high in protein and iron)
-Millet (extremely digestible, commonly used as a flour in indian bread such as chapati and roti)
-Spelt (heirloom variety of wheat, contains some gluten so it can be delicately used to partially replace about 1/5th the flour in a yeast bread recipe)
For more information visit:
www.cookwithtom.com
