Keen on Kernza

Kernza is a whole grain that's not only good for the body but also good for the environment and farmer. I was pleased with my first purchase and recipe testing. 

Cooked as a whole grain, Kernza has a sweet, nutty taste and appearance similar to wild rice. When ground, Kernza produces a rich yellow flour with dark brown specks. The dough and baked product are deep brown, similar to dark rye.

I give myself 5 stars for my Stuffed Flank Steak where I substitute Kernza for brown and wild rice.

Stuffed Flank Steak Teriyaki

(Serves 6)

Cut pocket in flank steak.  Combine soy sauce, oil, molasses, mustard, gingerroot and garlic.  Place meat in shallow dish;  pour marinade into pocket and over meat.  Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
1-1 1/2 pound beef flank steak
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced

In a saucepan, combine water, Kernza, carrot, mushrooms and parsley.  Bring to a boil.  Cover; reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes.  
1 cup water
1/2 cup Kernza whole grain
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/3 cup mushroom, chopped
2 tablespoon parsley, snipped
1/4 cup onion, diced

Drain meat, reserving marinade.  Stir 1/4 cup marinade into grain mixture.  Place flank steak in a foil lined baking dish.  Fill steak pocket with grain mixture.  Pour rest of marinade over steak.  Cover entire pan with foil.  Bake in 350 F. oven for 2 hours, turning steak over after 1 hour.

With an electric knife, slice meat across the grain.  Serve with juices.

The Kernza Sourdough Pancake recipe from The Perennial Pantry was very good and a great way to use the sourdough discard on feeding day. 

Kernza's uniqueness as a whole grain wheat is that it is a perennial. Most of the world's food crops are annuals. Less than 15% of the food crops (including fruit trees and olive trees and asparagus) are perennials.

The Land Institute in Kansas spent years working with other researchers to create this domestic version of an annual crop. Kernza is not GMO modified, but created using traditional intermating techniques.

Kernza has a thick root system that can yield food for years to come. It has an incredible soil carbon sequestration system that pulls carbon out of the air and into the soil. The plant's deep roots reduce soil erosion and resist drought.

In a Thanksgiving article, the Washington Post recommends the use of Kernza flour in rolls and pie crusts and as a brewing grain for beer.

 
 

In Praise of Mentors

 

We call them mentors, coaches, cheerleaders and friends. They're experienced people we trust, who share a purpose in the community.  Bill's a professor emeritus and wellness professional. I call him one of my biggest cheerleaders.

For much of my 20 year role at the Healthy Cafe, he was a frequent customer. Bill promoted our work and value to all, yet was a continual source of constructive feedback. "I like to buy your mashed potatoes yet wonder if the sodium could be reduced". "I love the selection of vegetables in the stir fry and would love to see you serve it with brown rice." As with most customer feedback-I put those in my memory drive to make a determination later.

Bill valued our food and nutrition skills and helped us educate the student population. There was a late afternoon we stayed after cafeteria closing to set up an exhibition cooking demonstration showing the students how to make the vegetarian stir fry. Another evening we set up a private dining room to serve students whole grain dinner foods. Then there was a day he stopped by my office after his morning jog to invite me to his class that afternoon to talk to his students about food safety. There I was in front of a rather large classroom of students reviewing the 2005 Dietary Guidelines specific to Food Safety. It was not hard for me to give examples of best practices in both retail and home kitchens. 

Bill provided that social network that made us feel valued. We had a shared interest in wellness and putting those tasks to practice stimulated my professional growth. Retired now, we have few opportunities to interact, yet remain supportive friends.

 

Bill and his wife Jan often ordered our wellness carrot cake for family gatherings. (I believe he's holding a piece of it in this photo). I do not have the entire recipe, but will include the cake portion below. We used the Flax Muffin recipe for the Carrot Cake too!

Flax Muffins

(Serves 18)

Mix together flours, flax, bran, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup ground flaxseed

3/4 cup oat bran

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir in carrots, pineapple and raisins.

1 1/2 cup grated carrots

1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup raisins

Combine eggs, milk, lemon juice, applesauce and vanilla.

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon eggs

2 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon lemon 

Add liquids to dry ingredients. Stir until moist.

Coat muffin tin with nonstick spray. Pour batter in tins. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.