Nothing can beat the versatility
of the humble grain. The next time you are looking for an entrée
or a side dish with a twist, look no further than brown rice,
wild rice, quinoa, barley or bulgur wheat.
Excellent sources of vitamins,
protein, dietary fiber and iron; these grains pack a nutritional
wallop. Moreover, each grain has its own distinct flavor and
characteristic, making them nutritious and tasty as well.
All five types of grain are
adaptable enough to be added to any dish. Using the same recipe,
just use a different type of grain and you've got a dish that
tastes completely different. Mix and match the different grains
for a unique flavor every time. Couscous and quinoa go together
very well and so do wild rice and brown rice. Experiment away!
You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Try some of these ideas to
incorporate these grains into your diet.
Adding ¼ cup cooked wild rice
or brown rice when cooking tomato or vegetable soup will give
the soup fullness and flavor.
For breakfast try cooking brown
rice or bulgur wheat in a combination of ¼ cup apple juice and ¾
cup water. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the hot cooked rice
for a deliciously wholesome breakfast.
When making the recipe for meat
chili, replace 1 pound of wheat with 1 cup dry bulgur. Sauté the
bulgur along with the other vegetables and onion. When you
finish sautéing, add liquid and let the chili cook on a slow
fire till it thickens.
Here's a hearty side dish that
goes well with turkey or chicken. Sauté ½ cup mushrooms and ½
cup onions in I teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.
Add two cups low-fat, chicken broth and bring the mixture to
boil on high fire. Add 1 cup barley to the boiling mixture, stir
and reduce heat. Cover the pan and let it simmer for at least 45
minutes. Enjoy!
Bulgur Wheat
Delicious and easy to prepare, bulgur wheat is the main
ingredient in the tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern salad that is fast
gaining popularity all over the world. It is often used to
replace ground beef in vegetarian cuisine, giving the vegetable
chili a texture similar to that of ground beef but with far less
fat and much more fiber.
Barley
A kernel-shaped, mild-flavored grain, barley is often used for
thickening soups and stews and is a great addition to casseroles
comprising of winter vegetables such as root vegetables, carrots
and onions.
Wild Rice
Not really rice at all, wild rice is the seed of a grass grown
in Minnesota. Because of its overpowering flavor, wild rice is
usually combined with other grains before serving. It is
delicious when used in different kinds of soups.
Couscous
Couscous is actually tiny pasta that is made from fine semolina
wheat. It is easy to prepare and makes a deliciously airy bed
for fish or chicken kebab.
Quinoa
Its superb nutty aroma and taste make it great for use in soups,
salad, pilaf and a variety of side dishes.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is basically just unpolished rice. Using it in any
recipe that calls for rice, increases the fiber content of the
dish instantly.
