Cooking Whole Grains in the Countertop Pressure Cooker

                        

This winter I’ve enjoyed a variety of hot whole grain cereals for breakfast thanks to the countertop pressure cooker. This cooker is smaller-3 quart (versus the original 6 quart size) and more practical for cooking single or smaller servings. Cooking whole grains and beans from scratch in the pressure cooker takes less time than stovetop and I don’t have to keep constant watch nor do I need to worry about turning the stove off.

Grains and legumes that require little time to cook on stovetop (bulgur, buckwheat and lentils) did not work in the pressure cooker. Some small grains, like grits, amaranth and teff cooked to perfection in just 10 minutes in the cooker.

Here’s my tested guide:

To 1/4 cup grain:     Add water:     Set timer:          Yield

Amaranth                1/2 cup          10 min.              1/2 cup

Barley                      3/4 cup          20 min.              1 cup

Black beans             1 cup            20 min.              3/4 cup

Grits                         3/4 cup         10 min.         

Kamut                       1 cup           25 min.              1/2 cup

Millet                         1 cup           10 min.              1 cup

Navy beans              3/4 cup         15 min.        

Oat groats                 1 cup           20 min.             1/2 cup

Quinoa                      1/2 cup        10 min.             3/4 cup

Rice brown/red          1 cup           15 min.            3/4 cup

Rye berries                1 cup           25 min.            10 T.

Sorghum                    1 cup           25 min.            3/4 cup

Spelt berries              3/4 cup         25 min.           1/2 cup

Teff                            3/4 cup         10 min.           1 cup

Wheat berries            1 cup            25 min.          3/4 cup

Diversify Whole Grains (Sorghum Cookies)

 

Whether we know it or not, that cereal we eat for breakfast, the bread we eat for lunch and the snack we eat later may all be made with the same seed. That’s not good for many reasons, especially the health of our gut microbiome. So many reasons to diversify our foods, try different varieties especially the “ancient” ones, shop local foods, plant seeds and share them.

Diversifying grains is good for the environment. The foundation of a sustainable food system is locally grown grains. Many commercial grains have been altered from their original state through extensive breeding and often lack the nutrients available in locally grown whole grains.

• Some whole grains (Amaranth, Buckwheat and Quinoa) afford complete proteins.
• Whole grains better for the environment include Amaranth, Corn, Millet, Sorghum and Teff.
• All but a few whole grains can grow in the United States.
• Corn Grits, Whole Wheat and Buckwheat are grown locally and available at our Morgantown, West Virginia Farmers Market.

Santa isn't the only one who would benefit from one of these whole grains. Here's one made with sorghum flour. These are soft and tasty, 100% whole grain and only 4 grams of added sugar per cookie.

Sorghum Cookies 

(15 Cookies) 

In a separate bowl, mix together sorghum flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves and allspice. 

14 Tablespoon Sorghum Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/16th teaspoon allspice

 

In bowl of electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

Add molasses, then egg beating on medium speed for 2 minutes.

1 Tablespoon 1 1/2 teaspoon molasses

1 egg

Mix in dry ingredients.

 

Drop by Tablespoon onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Allow 1 1/2 -2 Tablespoon between cookies as they will spread.) Finely grate nutmeg onto top of cookies. Bake at 375 F. for 7 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pan.

 

 

  

Celebrate the Season with Noah's Pudding

The story behind this sweet porridge is also a sweet one. It's the celebratory "soup" Noah's family put together after the flood when they landed near the mountains of Turkey. The ingredients were those left in supplies after a year on the ark- grains, dried fruit and nuts. In Armenia, this "Anoush Abour" is served as a festive dish during the holidays. The wheat berries are a symbol of abundance.

So, here's my Christmas porridge, made with those wheat berries and nuts, fruit and pomegranates. I've enjoyed mine for breakfast warmed and eaten with Greek Yogurt. It's a good pre-fitness class meal.

Noah's Pudding 

(2 1/2 cups-7 servings)

Combine sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Add fruit, nuts and wheat berries.

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1 cup pomegranate arils 

1/4 cup raisins

1 apple, diced

1/4 cup walnuts

1 cup cooked wheat berries

Barley's Not Exclusive to Beer Making

When was the last time you ate barley? Farm animals likely filled up on barley grain this Thanksgiving. We humans are more likely to have enjoyed the malted version in beer or whiskey. 

Whole grain barley is highly nutritious. It's high in soluble fiber and antioxidants, good for heart health and blood sugar regulation. Pearled barley has most of the outer bran removed. Hulled barley preserves the nutrient rich outer layer.

Farmers can grow the hulless variety, making it easier to harvest. Barley has a short growing season and thrives in less than desirable conditions, in poor soil or drought.conditions.    

Black barley, originally from Ethiopia, is now grown in the United States and provides a brilliant glossy contrast to the vegetables and seafood found in this Black Bean Bouillabaisse. 

 

Here's barley in laminated biscuits, made with half whole grain barley flour and half all purpose flour.

I am enjoying barley in this after Thanksgiving soup:

Turkey Barley Soup

(5 servings)

Saute onion, carrots and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes.

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 teaspoon olive oil

 

Add garlic and mushrooms, stirring and cooking for 1 minute.

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

 

Add tomato paste. Cook and stir another minute.

1 tablespoon tomato paste

 

Add turkey stock, diced turkey, cooked barley and spinach. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for another ten minutes.

2 cups turkey stock*

1 cup roasted turkey, diced

1/4 cup (dry measure) barley, cooked

1 cup spinach, sliced

 

*My stock was made with raw turkey drumsticks (skin removed), 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine. For spices, I added 1 cinnamon stick, 1 anise star and a small spice basket of licorice powder and cardamon. I strained the mixture and refrigerated, then discarded the fatty layer prior to making the soup. Because some of the powdered spices fell to the bottom of the broth, I strained the broth prior to soup cooking.

  

 

 

Stop Planning, Start Cooking

Jose Andres feeds millions in the midst of disasters. I admire him most for giving people jobs.

Speaking at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo 2018 Jose said the best thing we can do is give people jobs. He repeated that mantra at FNCE 2022, stating we need to train  adults to cook from scratch and give them jobs they can be proud of. Chef Andres expanded that challenge to include teaching kids to cook in a kitchen at school.

While he wasn't sold on community gardens he supports buying locally and small community business owners.

Jose encouraged dietitians to reach more people, going beyond the people they work with. "We need to stop planning and start cooking. Embrace adaptation. The recipes of the past are not working-make new recipes."

Why the picture at the top of the page? Jose's favorite recipe is Paella. I'll end with my own adaptation of a similar dish.

Jambalaya

(Serves 6)

Remove seeds, pulp and some of flesh from pie pumpkin.  Rinse seeds.  Roast seeds and pulp at 425 F. for 40 minutes.  Dice pulp.  Store seeds for a snack.
1 pie pumpkin, seeds and pulp removed
Roast shell of pumpkin for 20-30 minutes.

Saute peppers, onion, garlic, fennel and celery in oil for about 10 minutes.  Remove to bowl.
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 small sweet peppers, seeded and diced
2 tablespoon onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon fennel
1/4 cup celery, diced

Slice sausage and brown.  Set aside.
6 ounce Italian sausage, mild

Remove tail from shrimp.  Remove shells and simmer in water for 10 minutes.  Stir in bouillon cube.
12 ounce jumbo shrimp, in-shell, raw
2 cups water
1 not-chicken bouillon cube, low sodium
Saute shrimp for 3 minutes on one side, then 2 minutes on other side.  Set aside.

Add sauteed vegetable mix, broth, sausage, diced roasted pumpkin, corn, tomatoes, millet and spices to large kettle.
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano 
1/3 cup millet 
Simmer until most of moisture is absorbed.

Add shrimp to mixture just long enough to heat.

Serve jambalaya in pumpkin shell.

 

Defeat Economic Woes with Whole Grains

There's no denying food prices are rising and supply declining. Yet prices of whole grain berries and flours meet the challenges.

In a price check on Amazon yesterday of 19 whole grains, the average price per serving (1 ounce) was $.32. Brown Rice and Bulgur Wheat were $.15, Quinoa, Millet and Farro $.28 and Teff $.47. The outlier Kernza Wheat-grass, a perennial grain, was $.71.

Amaranth, cornmeal, buckwheat and sorghum all approximated $.31.

Just yesterday the television news reports the prices of wheat and corn will rise as world conflicts persist. The availability of whole grains where you shop will vary. Now may be a good time to diversify grains in the diets to stay atop the market fluctuations.

Here's a quick view of whole grain usage: Whole grains serve as the starting point for grain bowls and stir fries .Cooked whole grains offer unique tastes and textures in both hot and cold foods. They serve as the chewy component in soups. Whole grains can be substituted one for one in these grainy dishes.

Ground into flour, whole grains elevate the nutrient content of a dish. Gluten containing flours form the shape in yeast breads. Non-gluten flours work best in quick breads, muffins, cookies and pancakes. If you're new to gluten free baking it is best to try a tested recipe. Grain packages often have recipes. An internet search of the desired recipe bring links to tested recipes, many with customer ratings. 

• Some whole grains (Amaranth, Buckwheat and Quinoa) afford complete proteins.
• Whole grains better for the environment include Amaranth, Corn, Millet, Sorghum and Teff.
• All but a few whole grains can grow in the United States.
• Corn Grits, Whole Wheat and Buckwheat are grown locally and available at our Morgantown, West Virginia Farmers Market.

Diversifying grains is good for the gut microbiome and the environment. There are so many reasons to try new varieties and choose according to price and market conditions. 

Corn Tortillas

(6 Servings)

 Mix flour and salt. Stir in water to form a dough ball. Cover and let rest 1 hour.

1 cup Masa Harina Corn Flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup hot water

 

Heat 2 individual individual round skillets over medium high heat. 

 

Roll a 2 tablespoon ball of dough into a 1/8th inch thick round. Heat tortilla for 2 minutes in 1 skillet. Flip into the second skillet to heat on the other side for 1 minute.

Repeat with each tortilla.

Masa harina is corn flour made from corn soaked in a lime solution. This process releases the niacin so that it can be absorbed to prevent the disease pellegra. I love the taste and smell of fresh baked tortillas made from the Masa Harina!

 

 

 

 

  

Einkorn Wheat- the Most Ancient of Grains

 

Called "little spelt" in Italy and "little farro" in Germany, Einkorn Wheat is resistant to pests, disease and drought. Able to grown in cold temperatures and poor soil, Einkorn is higher in protein, phosphorus, potassium and beta carotene than other varieties of wheat. Einkorn has never been modified, has less gluten than other wheat and is easier to digest. Why don't we see it on the grocery shelves or listed in ingredients of wheat containing products?  Einkorn berries are hard to hull and have lower yield. Einkorn is homestead friendly but challenging for commercial growers.

Yet there are many reasons to eat Einkorn. The cereal we eat for breakfast, the bread we eat for lunch and the snack we eat later may all be made with the same seed. That's not good for many reasons, especially the health of the gut microbiome. 

The whole berries, soaked overnight in water and cooked in my countertop pressure cooker for 30 minutes, are chewy and nutty, perfect in salads and soups.

 

Dough made with Einkorn flour has less rise potential than modern wheat. Fully hydrating the flour encourages the gluten development. This "sponge method" of yeast bread suggests first mixing 1/2 the flour with warm water and yeast to form a thick batter. After allowing the "sponge" to ferment for 10 minutes to several hours, the rest of the ingredients and flour are added, and allowed to rise.

While I got good results the first time, I was unable to repeat the success with yeast breads.

Einkorn flour worked great in this quick bread.

Einkorn Banana Bread

1-8 inch loaf

In bowl of electric mixer, beat sugar and buttery until fluffy.

1/4 cup brown sugar

5 Tablespoon buttery spread

 

Add egg and beat 2 minutes.

1 egg

 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda and salt.

1 1/2 cup whole grain Einkorn flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

 

Mash bananas in food processor.

354 grams mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Alternately add dry flour mix to mixing bowl with mashed bananas and vanilla, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until combined.

 

Pour in 8 1/2 X 4 inch loaf pan greased with olive oil spray.

Bake at 335F. 45-50 minutes until pick inserted into loaf comes out clean.

 

Cool 10 minutes in pan.