Anna Delany
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| Grain | Description | Uses and Cooking Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Amaranth
|
Very small seeds with slightly peppery flavor. |
Boil in 2-1/2 cups liquid such as water or half water and half stock or apple juice until seeds are tender, about 18 to 20 minutes. Add some fresh herbs or ginger-root to the cooking liquid for more interesting flavor. |
| Barley
|
Hulled barley and pearled barley are the most common types of barley. Hulled is more nutritious, but also chewier.
|
Add to soups or stews, or use as basis for salad or side dish.
|
| Brown and wild rice
|
Brown rice has a tasty, nutty flavor. As well as regular brown rice, you can try several other varieties including brown basmati rice. |
Brown rice takes longer to cook, but can be precooked, frozen and reheated. Some stores carry ready-cooked brown rice in frozen form. Try as a substitute for any white rice dish. Especially good as a side-dish. Wild rice is actually a grass, but can be served in place of rice and is even more flavorful than brown rice. |
| Buckwheat (Kasha, Soba noodles)
|
Full of good nutrients and high in protein with a rich, nutty flavor.
|
Use in place of rice as side dish. Buckwheat flour is good for pancakes. Also try Japanese Soba noodles which are made from ground buckwheat. |
|
Bulgur wheat (cracked wheat) |
Made from whole wheat that's been soaked and baked to speed up cooking time. Cracked wheat takes longer to cook. |
Use in Middle Eastern dishes like Tabouli and pilafs. |
| Corn
|
Corn is the only grain eaten as a vegetable.
|
Popped corn makes a good high-fiber snack. Corn grits (popular in the South) are not whole grain but are made from hominy, which is refined corn stripped of the bran and germ.
|
| Couscous (whole wheat) | Couscous is a form of wheat pasta. Only whole wheat couscous is wholegrain | Couscous is easy to cook. Bring 1 cup of water to the boil, remove from the heat, and add 1 cup of couscous with some dry stock for extra flavor. |
|
Quinoa |
Has a mild flavor and pleasant, slightly crunchy texture. There are several different colored varieties. |
Rinse before using to remove the bitter coating. Boiling in water, stock or fruit juice for 12-15 minutes or until the rings around the center of the grain detach themselves. Use quinoa in place of rice as a side dish, in pilafs, stuffing, or salads. |
| Wheat Berries | These are wheat kernels that have been stripped only of their inedible outer hulls. | They can be cooked for use in casseroles and soups or as a nutritious nutty-tasting side dish. They can also be sprouted for use in salads and breads. |
| Whole wheat
|
Most common form is whole wheat flour
|
Use instead of white flour in baking. Try substituting 25-50% of white flour for whole wheat. |
|
Whole oats and oatmeal |
Several varieties of oats including steel cut oats (Irish oats, pinhead oats), oat groats, and rolled oats. |
Usually used for breakfast cereal and cookies.
|
Other whole grains available in the U.S. include kamut, whole rye, millet, spelt, teff and triticale.
Last updated: April 18th, 2007
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