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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Welcome Wheat Berry!

I think I mentioned this a few days ago, but I found a little natural food store near me, I had a coupon, and I happened upon some wheatberries!  I was so excited, I had been wanting to try them for them for awhile. 

If you've never tried them, I suggest picking them up if you see them when you're out and about.  They're really really good!  They turn into these plump little pillows inside a slightly chewy shell.  My family really liked this whole dish.  My mom was amazed that I was presenting them with yet another foreign grain (quinoa was introduced with hesitation), but her and my brother both really liked it.  

The recipe, is simple.  However, I also completely stole it from Nava Atlas' Vegan Express, so I cannot share.  Her recipe is for the Broccoli Salad, and I combined it with the wheat berry.    

Wheat Berry and Broccoli Salad with Pine Nuts, Cranberries, and Yellow Bell Peppers
 




If you happen to have her book (which I continue to love, no matter how many books I buy), the recipe is on p. 182.  In addition to the cranberries, pine nuts, peppers, and broccoli, there is also a really nice sesame ginger dressing that my ginger-phobe family loved...but then I also just told them it was sesame dressing and they were none the wiser.  Oh, I added, tofu, totally forgot.  So altogether:

1 recipe Broccoli Salad with Yellow Peppers, Pine Nuts, and Cranberries
1 cup wheat berry
1/2 block tofu (I used extra firm, but I almost always use extra firm)
S&P to taste 

Makes 5 servings

Nutrition Information:  336.1 Calories;  13.4g Total Fat;  1.2g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  125.9mg Sodium;  46.7g Carbohydrates;  9.1g Fiber;  11.8g Protein. 

I cooked the wheat berry on the stovetop, nothing special.  It took about 1 h 45min...don't let that deter you!!  Supposedly it doesn't take as long if you soak them first (I am not organized enough to plan this ahead), or if you use a pressure cooker (which I do not own).  The tofu I just sprinkled with salt and pepper and sauteed in a pan...I do this a lot, its simple, its easy, my family likes it.  

In fact, my brother wanted everyone to see just how much he liked it

Today's Cooking Song of the Day:  Untitled - Question and Answer

*Never heard of them?  It's my brother's band.  No no, keep reading!  They completed their first studio recording this past weekend, and the song is up on their myspace:  Question and Answer.  It should play when you open the page.  Its very catchy, and is probably one of my favorites of their songs so far.    

3 comments:

  1. hey, i like your blog too! i don't own vegan express, but that dish looks yummy. isn't it fun when you serve your nonveg family things and they totally end up liking it? i'm cooking for my (very, very) nonvegan brothers and their families this weekend and am nervous... i hope i get the good reception that you got! my parents always like my food, but my brothers are..well, brothers, you know?

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  2. hi there! that looks so good! is it similar to the texture of quinoa, also?

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  3. i keep seeing wheat berry on blogs, I'm going to have to try it!

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