A Whole Day for Whole Grains with Life Long Learners

It was a "Whole Day for Whole Grains" when life long learners gathered for a lunch compiled of 7 different whole grains. The menu on this last Wednesday of National Nutrition Month featured:

Sorghum and White Bean Soup over Cheesy Polenta Bites

Ezekiel Flour Cookies

 

Posters and recipes for 10 whole grains lined the walls. These were planned for a larger event in 2020 which cancelled during the COVID stay at home order.

Favorite Whole Grain cookbooks were shared. Take home bags held local grain samples from Davis Brothers Inc. and the Vegetable Garden.

Retired dietitian Cindy Gay and Licensed Dietitian Tiffany Mihaliak greeted and served 16 life long learners. When fed and seated, Cindy shared a PowerPoint presentation reviewing gluten free and gluten containing grains, unique nutrients in each, where grown in the United States, a fascinating fact about each grain and cost per serving .Examples of things to make with each grain were shared. Guests were asked to pick out one new grain to prepare at home.

New this year were 2 grains, Kernza wheat grass, a perennial developed by the Land Institute in Kansas and Fonio, a millet (an ancient grain but one new to the presenter). 

What changed since 2020? The price of quinoa went down. Previously it was one of the highest priced whole grains, second only to wild rice. The cost of quinoa per serving is now about 50 cents-mid range. Interesting in comparing the cost of all the whole grains that the price per serving ranged from a low of 18 cents per serving to a high of 75 cents per serving. This is reasonable compared to other foods in the US grocery cart.

The presenter learned that C4 grains-Amaranth, Corn, Millet, Sorghum and Teff- have reduced environmental impact (Increased photosynthesis, more efficient using nitrogen and water). 

New in the slide show ere cooked cereals made with teff and amaranth and pastas made with farro and teff.

The cookies made with Ezekiel Flour have 5 whole grains. The link for the flour (comprised of 4 whole grains) is above. Adding oats with the flour brings the variety of whole grains to 5. Here is the cookie recipe:

Ezekiel Cookies

(28 Cookies)

Combine flour, oats, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
1 ¼ cups Ezekiel flour
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla

Add flour mixture to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add coconut and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.
¾ cup unsweetened coconut

¾ cup dark chocolate chips (60% cacao)

Drop by tablespoonful onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350F. for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.

 

  

What new grain did the learners plan to cook at home? Amaranth, Sorghum, Teff, Grits were among the choices.

 

 

Celebrate the Flavors of the World with Whole Grains

 

Sorghum is an energy efficient whole grain rich in antioxidants. Costing only 50 cents a serving, sorghum is a nutrient dense ingredient. Combine with vegetables, dried beans and spices to create a satisfying nutritious meal.

Originally cultivated in East Africa, sorghum is valued for resistance to drought and heat. This soup combines the grain with kidney beans, most commonly used in that region and a local spice blend called Pilau masala.

Pilau Masala

Grind in spice grinder.

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds

 

Combine ground spices with cinnamon.

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

This recipe is based on one in the book "Spice" by Dr. Stuart Farrimont.  

 

Whole grains originated in many parts of the world.

Most whole grains can grow in the United States. The "sorghum belt" in the United States extends from South Dakota to Texas.

 

This is sorghum grown nearby in Preston County, West Virginia.

 

 

Next Wednesday I will be hosting a class for the university's Life Long Learners celebrating "Whole Grains for a Day". The soup I serve features sorghum, combined with local white beans and spices familiar to many in our area. Here is the soup:

 

Sorghum and White Bean Soup

(4 1/2 cups)

Combine sorghum and beans with 3 cups of water in countertop pressure cooker. Cook for 30 minutes. Release steam and drain. 

1/3 cup sorghum (dry volume)

1/3 cup white beans (dry volume)

 

Heat oil in saucepan. Add raw vegetables and saute for about 10 minutes.

4 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stick, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

 

Add seasonings and stir for 60 seconds.

1 1/8 teaspoon basil

1 1/3 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 teaspoon pepper

 

Add cooked and drained sorghum and beans.

 

Add tomatoes, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

1 cup diced tomatoes in juice

3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

1 low sodium vegetable bouillon cube

 

Stir in spinach just prior to service.

3/4 cup spinach , stems removed

 

This recipe is based on one from the Whole Grains Council. 

 

March is National Nutrition Month. This year's theme embraces global cuisine. 

  

 

  

Celebrate the Flavors of the World: East Asia

Knife skills and simmering techniques are useful culinary skills in Asian cuisine and the spice blends transform recipes. 

The contrasting flavors in this East Asian recipe are influenced by the varying terrain. The Shaoxing Wine, also known as "yellow wine" must be produced in the eastern China city of Shaoxing.

 

Nanjing Spice Blend

(1 bag)

Place whole spices and peel in a piece of cheesecloth. Tie.

6 cloves

4 star anise

1 teaspoon peppercorns

6 bay leaves

Peel of 1 mandarin

 

Place powder in mini spice basket.

1 teaspoon licorice root powder

 

I made 2 spice bags, one for the chicken and one for the rice. 

This recipe is based on one in the book "Spice" by Dr. Stuart Farrimont. 

Nanjing Chicken

(Serves 6)

In a skillet deep enough for chicken pieces (4-6 inch), saute onion in sesame oil a few minutes.

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 tablespoon sesame oil

 

Add grated ginger.

2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

 

Place chicken pieces face down in skillet and brown.

1 small chicken, cut in pieces, neck bone and skin removed

 

Add wine and simmer a few minutes.

2 tablespoons Shaoxing Wine

 

Cover chicken with water. Drop spice bag and basket into water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Water

Spice bag and basket

 

Remove chicken from broth. Cool. Remove chicken from bone and refrigerate until ready to eat.

 

Strain broth and save for stock. The broth provides the sweet salty taste. 

 

For the meal, I cooked a brown and wild rice blend in water with 1 spice bag and basket.

 

I sauteed and cooked vegetables (mushrooms, fennel, pepper, cabbage and peas) to accompany.

 

I arranged the chicken, rice, vegetables and mandarin slices on a platter.

 

 

 

To serve, heat the strained stock and pour over a bowl of meat, grain and vegetables. 

 

March is National Nutrition Month. This year's theme embraces global cuisine. 

       

 
 

Celebrate the Flavors of the World on Grain Coast

 

It was a spice called "Grains of Paradise", carried by camels across the dessert to Europe, that led to the West African coast title "Grain Coast". The peppery and fragrant seeds grow in pods from a five foot tall perennial plant-a member of the ginger family. When ground, the spice was sold as a cheaper substitute for pepper with only one third the heat. It's herbaceous flavor blends well on rice, vegetable or meat stews, salmon, cocktails and apples. We loved the effect on these baked apple pastries.

Apple Rosettes

(6 Servings)

Remove apple cores and slice apples 1/8 inch thick. Cover with lemon juice and water. On stove-top, bring to a boil and simmer 2-3 minutes.

2 red apples

Juice from 2 lemons

Drain and pat dry on clean cloth.

 

Mix spices with marmalade.

3 tablespoon orange marmalade

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon grains of paradise

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

 

Roll pastry to a 12 X 14 inch rectangle. Slice lengthwise in 6 (2  X approximately 14 inch) strips. Brush with marmalade.

1 recipe Sourdough Pie Crust 

Place apple strips at the top of each pastry strip, with peel end extending over the top of the pastry and overlapping each apple strip slightly.  Flip bottom of each dough strip up over bottom of apple slices. 

Lightly grease a muffin tin. Roll each apple pastry into a rosette and drop into tin. Bake at 395F for 35 minutes.

 

This recipe is based on those in the book "Spice" by Dr. Stuart Farrimont.  

Now to another grain-only grown in Africa, particularly on the west coast. "Fonio", an ancient grain-sometimes called hungry millet or hungry rice-cooks quickly with a consistency like couscous. Unlike many cereal grains, fonio is rich in the amino acids methionine and cystine. The gluten free grain thrives in rocky and poor soil.

I've mixed fonio in stuffed pepperhttps://cindyshealthymeals.blogspot.com/2021/04/going-for-new-grain-in-stuffed-peppers.html

s and meatballs. Because it reminds me of a childhood favorite breakfast food-Cream of Wheat, I enjoyed it as a hot cereal. This one is whole grain!

March is National Nutrition Month. This year's theme embraces global cuisine.