Let's Cook Some Grain...!

As Preppers, many of our stores should consist of grains. However, there's no use in storing something unless you are familiar with the best way to cook or prepare it!

This list from Farmer's Almanac may be a help in that regard!

To cook the grains listed below, use a heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Rinse the grains thoroughly. Bring the water to a boil, add the grain, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for the indicated time. Once all the water is absorbed, fluff the grain with a fork, replace the cover, remove from the heat, and let sit for about 15 minutes. When cooking grains for salads, reduce the cooking times slightly so they retain a chewy texture.

Amaranth

Caution: This grain becomes sticky when cooked. Mix it with corn, scallions, and cooked pinto beans. Do not salt until thoroughly cooked.

1 cup amaranth to 3 cups water; simmer 25 to 30 minutes.

Barley, pearled (pot)

Lightly milled to retain all of the germ and at least 2/3 of the bran, barley can be used in salads with red onions, cucumber, and feta and in soups, stews, and chilies. Try barley as a stuffing for peppers, tomatoes, or poultry and in low-fat "meat" loaf

1 cup barley to 3–1/2 cups water; simmer 45 to 60 minutes.

Buckwheat groats (kasha)

Not part of the wheat family, buckwheat can be eaten by many on a wheat-free diet. It can be roasted in a skillet with an egg for extra flavor. Cook with noodles as a stuffing for cabbage, or serve with squash.

1 cup groats to 2 cups water; simmer 20 minutes.

Bulgur (quick-cooking)

This is cracked wheat that has been partially cooked and dehydrated. It is most often combined with olive oil, garlic, mint, parsley, paprika, and lemon to make tabbouleh. Try it with pine nuts, cinnamon, and lemon as a stuffing for tomatoes or green peppers.

1 cup bulgur to 2 cups water; simmer 5 minutes. Or combine 1 cup bulgur with 1-1/2 cups boiling water and let stand for 20 minutes.

Couscous

These quick-cooking wheat berries have been ground, steamed, and dried to form tiny pellets. Use as a light bed for spicy vegetables and stews or in a risotto with curried vegetables.

1 cup couscous to 1–1/2 cups water; simmer 5 minutes.

Millet

This is a mild, digestible grain often used by people on wheat-free diets. Serve as a bed for sauteed vegetables and chickpeas, as a stuffing with applesauce, or sprinkled into soups, stews, or risotto.

1 cup millet to 3 cups water; simmer 20 to 25 minutes.

Oats, rolled

Eat as cereal (try adding currants and toasted nuts), or use in grain burgers, in cookies and quick breads, and as a thickener in soups.

1 cup oats to 3 cups water; simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Quinoa

Light, nutty flavor and higher in protein than other grains, quinoa (actually the fruit of an herb) is excellent in grain salads, as a stuffing for zucchini or tomatoes, or in enchiladas or fajitas. It is also great with salsas and chutneys.

1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water; rinse several times before cooking; simmer 20 minutes.

Rice

Rice is a wonderfully versatile grain, good plain, added to vegetable casseroles, and used to stuff peppers and tomatoes. Use short-grain, which is sticky, for puddings and layered vegetable dishes; use medium-grain as a side dish and in Korean, Japanese, and Italian dishes; use long-grain for stews, curries, paellas, and salads.

1 cup rice to 2 cups water; simmer 15 to 20 minutes for white rice; 40 to 60 minutes for brown rice.

Rice, wild

This seed of aquatic grass is high in B vitamins. Combine with other grains, use with smoked turkey as a salad, or serve with apples and squash.

1 cup wild rice to 3-1/2 cups water; simmer 60 minutes.

Wheat berries

Combine cooked, hard red winter wheat berries with bean sprouts, carrots, tamari, sesame oil, and scallions for salad; or blend into stuffings with celery, mushrooms, thyme, and sage; or serve as a side dish with butter, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh parsley

1 cup wheat berries to 3 cups water; simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Do not salt.

Now, I might suggest here that the time to try and get used to cooking whole grains and using them in recipes, is now before you have to. It's also a good idea to get the family used to having different grains in their diet by introducing them slowly. Whole grains can play havoc with the digestion if not worked in a little at a time.

Now, my friends, let's have our coffee on the patio and enjoy the cooler weather, OK?