wheat berries

Get Your Whole Grains On!

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Alison Ashton — No Comments ↓

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To say we love whole grains at is an understatement! Lia has touted their benefits–for your health, for your taste buds–for years and she has made converts of the whole staff. In fact, winning us over to whole grains may well be one of Lia’s early successes as a NOURISH Evangelist. Not only do we relish the range of of hearty flavors and textures offered by whole grains. In fact, we now prefer them to their refined cousins and our kitchens are stocked with a variety of whole grains for meals from breakfast to dinner and snacks in between.

But if you’re new to whole grains, figuring out what to do with them can be confusing. (What the heck is millet, anyway? Keen-WHAT?) If you’re not sure exactly what a whole grain is, start with Lia’s Gotta Get Your Grains primer. Then dive into our “Get a New Grain” series to discover a world of whole-grain options beyond whole-wheat bread and pasta:

Amaranth. This teeny, tiny little “pseudo-grain” is packed with fiber and protein, and it’s gluten free. Its delightful, pudding-like texture makes it a luscious side dish or dessert. Learn more about amaranth>
Bulgur. If you need a quick-cooking whole grain for busy nights, this is it. Find out why bulgur has been a go-to grain for centuries>
Farro. Hearty farro is one of the so-called “ancient grains” that has recently been rediscovered by modern cooks. Here’s how to use farro in your kitchen>
Millet. If you’re unfamiliar with this gluten-free grain’s butter-yellow beads, you should get better acquainted. Find out why quick-cooking millet is one of Lia’s all-time favorite grains>
Oats. This may be one of the most familiar, best-loved whole grains in America. But do you know the difference between steel-cut oats and old-fashioned rolled oats? Here’s the whole scoop on oats>
Quinoa. You’ve probably heard about quinoa at some point by now—in a magazine, by a chef on a show. But does it live up to the hype? In a word: Yes. Discover more secrets about gluten-free quinoa>
Wheat berries. These may be the ultimate whole grain because, well, wheat berries are actually whole wheat kernels. Learn what you can do with wheat berries>

And if you think whole grains take too long to cook, think again. Here are 5 whole grains you can have on the table in less than 20 minutes>

Roasted Acorn Squash Salad with  Wheat Berries and Blue Cheese

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Lia Huber — No Comments ↓

Acorn squash skins are quite leathery and the cooked flesh will pop out of it as you cut the wedges. Use a butter knife to help separate the skin and flesh if needed. This combo of winter squash, hearty wheat berries, toasted walnuts and blue cheese is the essence of fall. Soaking the wheat berries overnight is smart trick to help slash the cooking time in half. It’s the same principle as soaking dried beans.

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Sautéed Wheat Berries with Shrimp, Zucchini and Gremolata

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Lia Huber — 3 Comments ↓

This wheat berries recipe sort of sums up everything NOURISH Evolution stands for. The zucchini comes fresh from our garden (if you don’t have one of your own, you’ll likely be able to find zucchini that someone else has grown this time of year). The wheat berries are a relatively new whole grain discovery for me, full of flavor and hearty texture that’s so good for me my whole body goes ‘mmmm.’ The shrimp are caught wild or farmed sustainably here in the U.S. This is truly a dish to nourish body, soul, and planet.

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Wheat Berry Salad with Middle Eastern Spices, Grilled Tomatoes & Eggplant

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Lia Huber — 5 Comments ↓

This wheat berry salad always wows those new to whole grains. The smokiness of the grilled tomatoes, creaminess of the eggplant and haunting complexity of the spice paste create quite a sensation. Soft wheat berries have a toothsome starchy quality that works well in this recipe.

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Get a New Grain: Wheat Berries

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Lia Huber — 3 Comments ↓

If you’re trying to get acquainted with more whole grains, add wheat berries to your list. Wheat berries are actually whole wheat kernels. It’s the wheat berries that are ground into whole wheat flour; white wheat berries create a lighter, tan-colored flour and red wheat berries yield a darker, tawny tint. (Click here learn more about whole wheat flours.) Left whole, though, wheat berries are a versatile addition to the kitchen.

What They Look Like: You’ll find both white and red wheat berries, which carry the hues of their name. When cooked, they’re the size of plumped-up rice and have a buttery sheen to them.

What They Taste Like: Soft wheat berries (whether white or red) have a toothsome starchiness. Hard wheat berries retain a firm chewiness no matter how long they boil.

How to Cook Them: Wheat berries in general have a particularly tough bran that takes some time to soften, but cooking time varies significantly between soft and hard varieties. Just as there are different strains of wheat—hard wheat that’s higher in gluten and typically used for bread products and soft wheat with a lower protein content that’s used more for pastries—there are different types of wheat berries too. Soft wheat berries (whether white or red) cook up in just over an hour while hard wheat berries (again, regardless of color) can take hours to cook. You can also presoak them — as you would dried beans — to speed up the cooking time.

Cook soft wheat berries in a 3:1 ratio of liquid to berries. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, or until tender (drain off any excess liquid). For hard wheat berries, soak overnight and double (at least . . . keep an eye out to make sure the liquid hasn’t been absorbed or the kernels will scorch) both liquid and cooking time.

How to Use Them: Wheat berries have a sturdy texture and complex, wheaty flavor that make for wonderful salads and stir-fries. Subbing them for rice as a side dish is also a great way to get to know them.

Additional Notes: You’ll find hard red and hard white, and soft red and soft white, wheat berries out there (and wheat flours as well), but don’t let the label lead you into thinking these whole grains are refined. The “white” they’re referring to here is a class of wheat due to the color of the kernel, not a refining process. Confusing, I know, but “white wheat” berries or flour are whole grain products with all three parts of the kernel intact while “white flour” is processed flour with all but the endosperm stripped away.