7 WHOLE GRAINS TO GET YOU HEALTHY FOR THE NEW YEAR

Starting off the New Year, everyone vows to eat healthy and workout more (as evidenced by the surge of gym goers I’ve been seeing lately at mine!). But instead of focusing on that new and improved juice cleanse (because, honestly, there’s no way I am just drinking juices for 7 days straight! and let's not even discuss the sugar content....), I’d rather search for REAL food that's healthy(ish) and tasty. It's a game of inches! One area with which I loooove to experiment is with new, delicious grains that are a healthy alternative to your everyday rice, quinoa, or even breakfast oats. There are so many more varieties with different textures to choose from than we think, so some of these you may not have heard of! Below are just a few I wanted to highlight.

FREEKEH

Freekeh is a roasted green wheat that's found throughout the Middle East (and your local Whole Foods!). It’s harvested young and then roasted in the fields over an open fire, giving it a smokiness. It's often referred to as a “new” ancient grain (ha!) and has slowly been taking the spotlight away from quinoa because it is far more nutritional (low in fat, high in protein & fiber!). I love the nuttiness and bite of this grain, and it takes on spices beautifully. This recipe is a pilaf with roasted squash, spices like cinnamon and coriander, and a hint of brown butter (I did say healthyish..)..

TEFF

Teff is a grain the size of poppy seeds that’s usually ground into flour to make breads. It's a key ingredient in Ethiopian cooking, primarily to make injera, a fermented, spongy flatbread used to serve and eat Ethiopian stews and dishes. Teff has become popular because it's gluten-free, a complete protein and can sustain just about any climate and region. It's great for baking - banana bread, brownies, you name it. It's also delicious, whole, added into soup, stews, or a winter chili.

AMARANTH

Amaranth dates as far back as the Aztecs. It was their staple food and an integral part of their culture. This little grain is a gluten-free complete protein powerhouse, just like teff. It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes and is super easy to cook: boil water, add the amaranth, cook 10-20 minutes and drain. Seriously, that simple. Once cooked, amaranth is amazing added to salads, incorporated into desserts or stirred into soups. I love it in lieu of morning oats, with some almond milk, cinnamon, and fresh berries. Also, little known fact, it can be popped like popcorn! So good!

RYE BERRIES

Rye is one of those grains that has mainly been grown as a cover crop by farmers to bring back the nutrients to the soil that was lost to a previous “cash” crop. It wasn’t until recently that cooks have been using up these grains, so they don't go to waste in feed slash farmers can make a profit on these previously not-so-popular crops. Rye berries can be ground into flour for breads or boiled like rice. I’ve been cooking them in my rice cooker using a 3:1 ratio of water to berries. This cooking method gives the berries such a nice, popping texture and the grains are perfect to mix in with whatever ingredients you like (avocado, roasted peppers, corn, etc…).

WHEAT BERRIES

Wheat berries look similar to rye, but are a bit shorter in length. It's a common side dish in France, taking the place of the rice or corn, and these little berries are where whole wheat flour comes from. Some say that soaking these berries before cooking (like overnight) will speed up the cooking process (it takes about 45-50 minutes to cook). I personally like to toast the berries in the oven or in the pot to be cooked in before I add the water to give a little more flavor.

FARRO

Cooked similarly to amaranth, farro is really popular in Italian cuisine. It's actually a group of 3 wheat species (emmer, spelt and the lesser known einkorn). Farro is really hearty, and is on menus all over NYC, mainly in salads and in soups. But I personally love it cooked like risotto with mushrooms, shallots and garlic...it's very similar to barley, so it makes a great substitute for those recipes.

BUCKWHEAT

Buckwheat is super trendy, but it's a good thing it has the great flavor it does to back it up! It's, hands down, my new favorite topping on salads when it's been toasted - totally replacing my love of croutons, which is kind of a big deal. This is another one of those hidden gems of a cover crop that farmers use that are now becoming popular in the kitchen. This grain can also be cooked in water (similar to farro and amaranth). You can drain the water and create a loose grain for salads or you can keep some liquid and also serve it almost “risotto” style. Either way is delicious and obviously using stocks is tastier than just plain water. I also personally love using buckwheat flour to make crèpes, like in this recipe.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

Freekeh with Summer Squash and Brown Butter

I was having lunch with a Lebanese girlfriend of mine recently when she pointed out freekeh on the menu. I had never heard of it, so, of course, I had to order! It was served like a pilaf to accompany a fish, tasted like a nuttier, slightly smoky brown rice, and had a toothsome texture.

After some research, I was really surprised that it’s not more well known. Freekeh is a roasted green wheat and can be found throughout Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan. It’s an incredibly healthy whole grain, comparable (if not superior) to quinoa, a rich source of nutrients with high fiber and protein. It’s harvested young and then roasted in the fields over an open fire, giving it that smoky quality.

The mixed summer squash at the Union Square Greenmarket looked too shiny and beautiful to resist the other day, and I thought it would pair well with the freekeh. I roast the squash off here with some sweet cherry tomatoes and prepare the freekeh similarly to rice. The coriander and cinnamon work really well with the sweetness of the squash and the smokiness of the freekeh, and the pine nuts are great for texture. This is so delicious I’ve given up my carnivorous ways for a few days, snacking on it at intervals.

And the pièce de résistance? Nutty, glistening, warm brown butter. I love to use brown butter in place of regular butter in a dish like this or even in breads and cakes; it really elevates and deepens the flavor.

Freekeh also goes by the name frik, farik or even roasted green wheat, so if you are shopping for it, I would ask by all names. I picked up my freekeh at Sahadi’s on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn, but I know a number of the Middle Eastern specialty shops in the area carry it. Kalustyan’s also carries it in store and online.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 4 to 6 servings

2 cups freekeh, whole (not cracked)

1 lb mixed summer squash, medium dice

¾ cup cherry tomatoes, whole

olive oil, salt, & pepper

2 ½ tbsps canola oil

1 onion

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp white pepper

1 scallion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

4 tbsps brown butter *

handful of parsley, chives, and/or cilantro, chopped

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Pour freekeh in a bowl and pick through for any stones or off pieces. Rinse freekeh with several changes of water until the water runs clean. Cover the freekeh with fresh water and soak for a half hour. Strain off all excess water.

Combine diced squash and tomatoes in a bowl. Lightly coat in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes until soft but still with a bit of firmness.

Heat a pot or a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add canola oil. When hot, add onions and coat with the fat. Add coriander, cinnamon, white pepper and a pinch of salt to draw out the moisture. You just want to sweat out the onions until they are translucent, so be careful the heat isn’t too high or they will start to brown.

When the onions are translucent, add scallions and garlic. Cook for one minute, and then add freekeh. Toast the freekeh in the pot, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. The freekeh should become aromatic.

Add the vegetable or chicken stock, and bring up to a boil. Lower to a simmer and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Turn off heat, remove cover, and let stand uncovered 5 minutes.

Toss in the summer squash, tomatoes, pine nuts, and brown butter. Add chopped herbs and adjust seasoning as necessary.

* Brown butter is really easy to make, but it has to be watched. Simply heat the butter in a pan over medium low. Once the foam starts to subside, watch the color of the milk solids that sink to the bottom of the pan. They should turn brown, and the butter should take on the smell of toasted hazelnuts. At that point, remove immediately from the heat by pouring into another container. The solids go from brown to black quickly, so it’s important to stop the cooking process as soon as the hazelnut stage is achieved. Also, I like to scrape the solids off the pan into whatever I’m cooking – there’s a ton of flavor there.

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7 WHOLE GRAINS TO GET YOU HEALTHY FOR THE NEW YEAR

Freekeh with Summer Squash and Brown Butter