Here is a primer on cooking whole grains. This will be short; it’s meant to be a reference guide for cooking grains that we can all refer when I’m using grains in recipes.
What used to be exotic is now commonplace, with supermarket shelves offering a selection from amaranth to quinoa. Grain bowls are the newest thing, where you top your grain of choice with a melange of raw and cooked vegetables, sprouts, fruits, etc. and then a complementary dressing. They are a great packed lunch that will hold up to the inevitable jostling and temperature changes on your way to work. Side dish , stuffing, main dish, salad, pudding, soup, stew, veggie burgers -grains are so versatile. So put that Paleo diet on the back burner for now and try some of these nutrition-packed kernels.
- 1 cup grain
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Water or broth, as noted for each grain below
- Amaranth - 2 cups liquid, simmer 15-20 minutes
- Barley, hulled - 3 cups liquid, simmer 30 minutes
- Brown Rice - 2½ cups liquid, simmer 40 minutes
- Buckwheat (kasha) - 2 cups liquid, simmer 20 minutes
- Cracked Bulgur – 2 cups water, pour boiling water over bulgur, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes
- Farro - 2½ cups liquid, simmer 30-40 minutes
- Millet, hulled - 2½ cups liquid, simmer 25-35 minutes
- Oats, steel-cut - 4 cups liquid, simmer 30 minutes
- Quinoa - 2 cups liquid, simmer 15 minutes. Rinse first to remove saponin (a bitter residue) or purchase pre-washed.
- Rye Berries 4 cups liquid, simmer 1 hour 15 minutes
- Sorghum - 4 cups liquid, simmer 45-60 minutes
- Spelt Berries - 4 cups liquid, simmer 30-40 minutes
- Teff - 3 cups liquid, simmer 20 minutes
- Triticale 3½ cups liquid, simmer 1 hour 20 minutes
- Wheat Berries - 4 cups liquid, simmer 45-60
- Wild Rice - 3 cups liquid, simmer 50 minutes
Drain any remaining liquid.
Soaking grains overnight will reduce the cooking time considerably. This is advantageous especially for steel cut oats, rye and wheat berries.
Make a larger batch than needed and freeze for future quick meals.
Let me know what you do with your grains.
-Sheila
