Read my Natural Health Magazine Bean Article

Read my Natural Health Magazine Salad Article

Great Grains

by Karen Kelly

From Yoga Journal, March 2006

It was a very early spring Saturday afternoon and my husband, Randy, my sister Nancy and I were spending the weekend in the Pennsylvania countryside. I could hear the crunch of gravel as friends from a neighboring town pulled into the driveway for a casual meal. It was the kind of lazy day when normal cooking hours were suspended, in favor of a long, relaxed afternoon where lunch might turn into dinner. What I had planned would certainly lend itself to either meal.

I'm a cook who craves gastronomic adventure so I had prepared five different whole grains: barley, farro, quinoa, dried corn, and rye. Each one was piled in large shallow bowls to show off their diversity of appearance. Quinoa (keen-wa), for example, looks as light and fluffy and delicate as it tastes. Farro's brown and tan coloring hints at its hearty and chewy texture. Whole solar-dried corn kernels, stewed in water, retain the warm yellow tone of freshly shucked cobs as well as a firm texture.

When my quests were assembled, everyone placed a spoonful of each grain on his or her plate. We tasted them one by one, savoring their textures and flavors carefully. After the initial tasting I brought out a platter of mixers: sautéed greens, crumbled feta and cubed fontina, cured green and black olives, sliced jalapeno peppers, toasted walnuts and pine nuts, grape tomatoes, stir fried baby carrots and green beans, a mélange of chopped dried fruits (apricots, currants, and cranberries), lemon wedges, red wine vinegar, olive oil, a jar of Pike County honey made by a local beekeeper and some plain yogurt.

I thought the hot peppers, grape tomatoes and the creamy, robust flavor of the fontina enhanced the corn's dense, slightly sweet flavor. Nancy liked the Mediterranean combo of barley blended with green beans, olives and feta. Randy created a quinoa dish with greens, carrots, and walnuts, adding the vinegar and olive oil as a simple dressing. Our friends mixed farro and rye together, then added dried fruits, carrots, greens, pine nuts and lemon juice for a multi-textured pilaf with a savory Middle Eastern edge.

I could have included even more grains in my tasting party. According to the Whole Grain Council, there are 14 unique varieties, including heirloom selections brought back from near extinction, such as buttery-tasting high protein kamut® and aro, an ancient form of wheat grown in Umbria, as well as sorghum and spelt. And don't forget the familiar wild rice, barley, corn, cracked wheat and wheat berries. You can even prepare rye as I did – it has a naturally smoky flavor that holds its own with other bold flavors, such as strong cheeses and bitter greens.

Grains offer tremendous variety for the majority of us that eat a grain-based diet. Many are an alternative to wheat for those who have allergies. So often we get into the bread, cereal, pasta and pizza rut. Even though you can find versions of these foods made from whole grain flours, grains, cooked and eaten in their whole state, are much more nutritious than food from grains that have been processed into fine flours.

Dr. Andrew Weil, a bearded and robust authority on well-being, health and aging, says whole grains are integral part to a low glycemic diet, which many nutritionists believe reduces risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes and promotes healthy aging. The reason is simple: whole grains, like all whole foods, are more slowly digested than refined carbs, such as finely textured breads and most commercial cereals.

The result is that you feel fuller longer, are satisfied with smaller portions and do not experience the highs and lows of eating simple sugars and refined carbs. Weil's new book, Healthy Aging – A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical Well-Being, (Knopf, October 2005) explains how the glycemic load (GL) scale accurately measures the actual amount of carbs consumed in a portion of any given food. The higher the load the greater number of “empty calories.” Examples of foods high on the GL are wheat flour breads, candy and potato chips. Whole grains fall on the low end of the GL scale.

Weil is careful to make the distinction between grains cooked and eaten whole and processed grains. “There is a big difference between whole grains and whole grain flour. It's a major misconception in our culture. Even intelligent people think they are getting the benefits of whole grain when they eat foods made with pulverized whole grains,” he says. Unfortunately, bread or cereal made with whole grain flour acts pretty much like bread and cereal made with white flour once it hits your stomach, by converting to sugar just as quickly.

Grains also pack a potent nutritional punch. They are high in soluble fiber, protein, calcium, and phytochemicals. Researchers at Cornell University recently discovered that whole grains, especially corn, have even more antioxidants that previously believed.

As if the health benefits aren't enough, whole grains are a wonderful canvas to show off other flavors and foods, as my tasting proved. The simplest preparations can be sublime. For instance, a bowl of any kind of steaming grain drizzled with organic honey and a few toasted nuts makes a comforting, energy-packed breakfast that even small children will gobble up with gusto (believe me, I've tested this theory on a brood of nieces and nephews). The addition of dried cherries and a splash of cream make it into a yummy dessert. (Rice pudding – move over!)

Weil likes sautéing carrots, onions, celery, and good mushrooms, then mixing it in a cooked grain like buckwheat or groats, wild rice or barley. “It's very satisfying. With some added herbs, garlic, dry sherry and some dried cranberries it's a great holiday dish,” he says.

Contrary to what a few skeptics believe, grains are not difficult or time consuming to cook (check out the sidebar for basic cooking times and techniques). Some, like cracked wheat and quinoa, go from stove to table in minutes. They are true convenience foods. Others need a long soak overnight, but cook up in an hour or less on a conventional cook top, and even quicker in a pressure cooker. Plus, you can cook up a double or triple batch of grains on the weekend and keep them refrigerated for a week in a tightly sealed container. Use them to make any variety of dishes with sweet or savory mixers. Chopped raw veggies, oil and vinegar, makes for a nice cold lunch salad. Heat grains gently over a low flame in a covered pot with a small amount of vegetable stock and serve as a side dish or underneath a helping of roasted root vegetables for dinner on a chilly spring evening. The possibilities are truly endless.

Novice grain cooks must be open to varying results. Lorna Sass, Ph.D., a culinary historian and author of several vegetarian cookbooks as well as a forthcoming essential guide to whole grain cooking, says n o two batches of grains cook alike. “As a consumer you have no idea how much moisture is in the grain you buy,” she says. Tasting at various stages in the cooking process is an experiential way to get your technique down.

There are only a few basic guidelines to follow when buying and storing grains. First, it's best to buy them in small quantities. Since whole grains don't have any preservatives and retain their natural oils they can go rancid within a few weeks (depending on how fresh they were when you bought them and how they were stored before you brought them home). It's best to keep grains in the refrigerator or even the freezer, which is where I keep mine (no need to defrost before preparing). It's also wise to buy grains from an organic or whole food store with a rapid turnover, so you know the grains have not been sitting around for a long time. Ordering online directly from producers is a good idea: freshness is a guarantee.

I find toasting most grains before cooking helps develop their flavor complexity. Heat a small bit of olive oil or butter in your pan and coat the grains with the fat. Let them warm over a medium flame until their aroma comes up and some of the grains begin to brown slightly. Add to boiling broth or water and cook as directed. You will notice a tasty difference.

Paula Wolfert, the contessa of Mediterranean cooking, devotes many recipes to grains, and is passionate about them. “All the countries in the Mediterranean have fabulous grain dishes, especially Turkey and Tunisia. Both do amazing things with barley,” she says. Wolfert says the best way to start incorporating grains into your diet is with pilafs. “They are so wonderful and earthy and easy to put together.” One of her favorites combines prepared coarse bulgur with any gently sautéed greens, topped with a dollop of yogurt. “It's so simple and so divine,” she says.

One more benefit of eating grains regularly Wolfert mentions can't be overlooked. “My son and I never looked better in our lives when we were testing recipes for Mediterranean Grains and Greens .” Good taste, good health, good looks – grains really are great!

###

Recipe developed for YJ by the author:

Quinoa & Vegetable Salad

This recipe was inspired by Andrew Weil's description of a favorite dish. It's simple, beautiful and celebratory. I hope he likes it! The red wine vinegar intensifies the toasty flavor of the quinoa, elevating it to the sublime.

With a green salad the recipe serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

7 tablespoon cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil

1-cup quinoa

2-cups water of vegetable stock

Kosher salt

1 cup finely diced white or red onion

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 medium carrot, diced

10-12 green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1-cup mushrooms, chopped (try a mixture, for example, shitake and Portobello*)

1/2-cup currants or roughly chopped apricots (or a combination of both)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2-cup of walnut halves, toasted**

* If using Portobello mushrooms, use the tip of a spoon to scrape off the black gills on their underside. This optional step will prevent the other vegetables from turning a dark color.)

Instructions

1.Put 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the bottom of a saucepan and heat over a medium flame. Add the quinoa and stir gently with a wooden spoon, allowing it to toast slightly, about 3 minutes. You will hear little popping sounds. At that point, add the water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and carrots in 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes), add the mushroom mixture and sauté until the mushrooms are softened (about 5 minutes). Add the green beans. They will continue cooking once they are added to the quinoa (you do not want them to lose their color and crunch, which they will do if you cook them now). Take the pan off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil and the red wine vinegar.

3. When the quinoa is done (pale rings will appear when it is cooked), turn off the heat, add the dressed vegetable mixture and the fruit, and combine with a wooden spoon. Replace the saucepan cover and let it sit while you make a green salad (or about 5-10 minutes). The dressing will permeate the grain with flavor and the heat with cook the beans to the crisp tender stage. Just before serving top each portion with the toasted walnuts.

** To toast walnuts: place walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a pre-heated 350 degree over for about 7 minutes.