Guide to Cooking Grains

With something like 10,000 edible grains available around the world it is a complete travesty (and indeed much of the cause behind the current global financial crisis) that we as a race seem to be hooked on just three or four of them. Whilst wheat, rice, corn and soya have their place on our tables we are so overdependent on them that some delicious and easy-cooking grains are left to wallow over their own unpopularity – it’s a bit like voting at the Prom (excuse the American high school reference!). If you take a couple of minutes to read over the simple instructions below it should give you confidence to get experimenting and boost your culinary repertoire so here goes…

COUS COUS

A wheat-based grain which requires careful preparation for best results. Commonly eaten in North African countries where it is combined with ‘tagine’ – a slowly cooked casserole.

Cooking guidelines/suggestions:

To 250g cous cous take 1 teacup of salted water. Spread cous cous on tray. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the salted water and rub grain between fingers and thumbs. Leave 10 minutes. Repeat this process twice more. Steam grain for 10-15 minutes (use sieve positioned above boiling water in saucepan). Cooked grain should be light and dry. If you’re feeling lazy or fancy a quick snack there is a quicker way but not guaranteed to give you “dinner party” results – basically boil 1.5 litres of water in the kettle and then simply pour through the required amount of cous cous in a sieve over a sink. The key to cheating like this is to “refresh” the grain with a slow trickle of cold water immediately after and keep tossing the cous cous in the sieve until all the steam has evaporated. Then quickly drizzle a good lug of olive oil and a squeese of lemon juice over the top and toss a couple more time. Delicious as a quick snack/light dinner with a little poached salmon, some baby spinach leaves and diced red pepper.

BUCKWHEAT

Despite its name, buckwheat is naturally gluten free. Although treated as a grain, it is in fact a member of the rhubarb family. Roasted buckwheat, also known as kasha, has an earthier and nuttier taste than raw buckwheat.

Cooking guidelines/suggestions:

Sautée some chopped onion in a little oil until transparent. Add roasted buckwheat and briefly stir over a moderate heat. Add 2 parts of stock (made from Marigold bouillon powder) to 1 part of buckwheat. Boil gently for approximately 10 minutes, taking care that it doesn’t boil dry. All liquid should be absorbed. This is nice sprinkled with toasted sesame oil, either hot or as the basis for a salad. It can also be cooked with sweetcorn kernels and hazelnuts. Raw buckwheat can also be cooked as a porridge.

Nutritional information: It is particularly rich in rutin, a flavanoid, which promotes good peripheral circulation. It is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, tryptophan and quercitin and contains all 8 essential amino acids. It is also a good source of calcium.

MILLET

Millet is naturally gluten free and although a seed, it is treated as a grain for culinary purposes. It is the only alkalising grain.

Cooking guidelines/suggestions:

Lightly roast millet either dry on a tray in a moderate oven for 10 minutes, or fry briefly in a little oil. Alternatively it can be rinsed well under cold running water. This removes the naturally occurring bitter saponins. Add 2 to 2 1/2 parts boiling water to one part of millet. Cover and return to the boil. Simmer for 12 minutes approx., making sure it doesn’t boil dry. Turn heat off and leave covered for a further 5 minutes. The millet should be light, dry and fluffy in texture. It combines particularly well with cauliflower and is nice served with chopped fried onion and a little tamari soya sauce. Millet can also be cooked as a porridge.

Nutritional information: Millet is rich in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and tryptophan. It also contains significant amounts of calcium and iron.

QUINOA

Quinoa is naturally gluten free and although treated as a grain for culinary purposes, it is in fact the seed of a plant which is related to leafy green vegetables. An ancient grain, it was once considered ‘the gold of the Incas’ who regarded it as a sacred food.

Cooking guidelines/suggestions:

Lightly roast quinoa either dry on a tray in a moderate for 10 minutes, or fry briefly in a little oil. Alternatively, it can be rinsed well under cold running water. This removes the naturally occurring bitter saponins. Add 2 to 2 1/2 parts boiling water to 1 part quinoa. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, making sure it doesn’t boil dry. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. The quinoa should be light, dry and fluffy.

Nutritional information: Quinoa contains all 8 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein food. It is also a rich source of manganese, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. It is a good source of calcium and iron.

BROWN RICE

Cooking guidelines/suggestions:

Add 2 to 2 1/2 parts boiling water to 1 part rice together with a pinch of salt (to alkalise grain). Boil for 30 to 35 minutes. Strain and serve. To make it more interesting, brown some chopped onion and add sunflower seeds. Add this to cooked rice, together with a sprinkling of tamari soya sauce. Or add toasted sesame seeds and chopped sea veg (Lisdoon Herbs) to cooked rice.
The rice can also be cooked in vegetable stock, such as Marigold bouillon (2 teaspoons dissolved in 1 pint of boiling water).

Nutritional information: Brown rice is a valuable source of B vitamins, as well as containing good amounts of manganese, magnesium, selenium, tryptophan and fatty acids. It is also a rich source of fibre. To produce white rice, a number of nutritious outer layers are removed, which simply leaves the starchy kernel, which is denuded of both vital nutrients and fibre.

BULGAR (or BURGUL/BULGHAR/etc.)

Soak bulgar in plenty of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes. It can then be made up as tabbouleh by adding minced onion and plenty of chopped parsley and/or mint. Dress with a 3:1 mix of olive oil to lemon juice. Leave preferably overnight. Then add chopped tomato and cucumber.

WHEAT BERRIES

Soak overnight. Drain and add plenty of fresh water. Boil for 1 hour. Dress with vinaigrette while warm. Let cool and then add chopped vegetables of choice, e.g. scallions, cucumber, tomato.

WILD RICE

Although not technically a grain (it is a grass), wild rice makes an attractive dish when mixed with regular brown rice. Add 2 parts of boiling water to 1 part of rice. Boil for 25 to 30 minutes.

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