The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook: 150 Recipes for Healthy Living by Judith Finlayson
By: DianaIn Book/Magazine Review, Grains, New Products on April 13th, 2008
What’s for dinner? Burgers.
Yeah, what’s in it? Millet.
No meat? No, it has millet.
So they’re birdseed burgers.
No, it’s not birdseed.
Is millet in birdseed?
I think so.
They’re birdseed burgers.
Okay, I wasn’t an enlightened teenager, I just wanted regular burgers. I don’t think any of us made it easy on my father to incorporate whole grains into our meals. Truthfully, though those burgers weren’t great, they were pretty dry and not my idea of great food.
I have been almost timid in my whole grain use for meals. My brother has sacks of grains in his refrigerator, but my main purchases have been whole grain pasta and bread from the store. I’ve always used rice and not too long ago tried out quinoa thanks to Robin.
Recently, I received The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook : 150 Recipes for Healthy Living to review. I like this book a lot. The first chapter of the book is the whole grain primer which discusses the importance of whole grains, and what affect whole grains in your diet has on your health. The second chapter Just the Grain gives us the culinary profile of each grain including storage and cooking.
The book has 150 different recipes that will help you incorporate whole grains into your diet.
"THE COMPLETE WHOLE GRAINS COOKBOOK takes the guesswork out of whole grains," says Finlayson, whose most recent cookbook, 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics, was selected as a notable book of 2006 by The Washington Post. "It’s designed to help novice and experienced cooks alike explore the world of whole grains and, ultimately, achieve a better, healthier diet."
Finlayson shares unique recipes that are not only healthy and delicious, but also showcase the vast array of grains available. Some of the recipes include:
§ Wild Rice and Smoked Turkey Salad with Dried Cherries
§ Asian-Style Beef and Wheat Berry Salad with Arugula
§ Amaranth Banana Walnut Bread
§ Curried Sweet Potato and Millet Soup
§ Moroccan Chicken with Couscous and Cinnamon-Spiked Prunes
§ Mussels in Spicy Lemongrass Broth with Chinese Black Rice
§ Peppery Shrimp with Couscous
§ Best-Ever Buckwheat Burgers with Bulgur in Tomato-Mushroom Gravy
§ Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Cookies with Cranberries and Pecans
§ Barley Pudding with Cherries and Almonds
§ Oatmeal Shortbread Squares
Here’s a quick and easy recipe from book to start you off on your cooking with whole grains journey toward better health.
Wild Rice and Smoked Turkey Salad with Dried Cherries
2 cups cooked brown and wild rice mixture, rinsed in cold water and drained.
Dressing:
1tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 ½ cups sliced smoked turkey (about 6 oz/175 g)
2 stalks celery diced
4 green onions, white part with a bit of green,
thinly sliced
½ cup dried cherries
1 small head leaf lettuce
¼ cup toasted almonds
1. Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to
taste. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Whisk in parsley and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine rice, turkey, celery, green onions and cherries.
Add dressing and toss well.
3. Arrange lettuce in a shallow serving bowl or deep platter.
Arrange rice mixture over top. Sprinkle with toasted Almonds.
Variation
Wheat Berry and Smoked Turkey Salad with Dried Cherries.
Substitute an equal quantity of cooked wheat, spelt or Kamut berries or faro for the rice.
While I picked one of the easiest recipes to show, there are other recipes that are more exotic and gourmet like. I like simple, quick and easy and there are those also. I love all the tips, the suggested variations to recipes and also the in depth explanations on how to cook the different types of grains. You won’t be intimidated trying something new with this book to guide you.
