Crafting Meals with Precooked Grains

 

Dry grains expand when cooked-some as much as 4 fold. Plan to take what’s needed for the meal, then freeze or refrigerate the rest for a multitude of recipes. Here’s what I did with the excess sorghum grain from my whole grains event in March. Yes, even experienced menu planners can make too much!

Salads

This one has spring vegetables, olives, feta cheese and pistachios.

Dressing (1 serving)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/3 teaspoon ground mustard 

1/3 teaspoon brown sugar

Dash salt

A small salad perfect for a tea or brunch fitted into a Parmesan cheese cup.

Grain Bowl

This one has sesame oil glazed salmon, vegetables and pimentos.

Asian Sauce (2 servings)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 cup orange juice

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

Porridge

This one has amaranth but any cooked grain will do.

Per 1 cup serving, add 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. I added 2 chopped dates and heated in microwave. Served with chopped walnuts.

Sorghum has high antioxidant levels and a mix of phytonutrients. It is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of fiber, phosphorus, Vitamin B3 and magnesium. Sorghum is a C4 plant, efficient in hot climates.

There is more than one way to cook whole grains. My favorite way is in the slow cooker. I added 4 parts of water to 1 part sorghum and cooked on high for 3- 4 hours.