I Dare You To Eat It

-Just received this message today from the amazing Connie. Hopefully it will encourage others to throw some wheat kernels in the crock pot and give it a go!

Dear Liesa:
Just wanted to tell you that I had to teach a class on wheat to a Single Adult Relief Society last evening. My experience has been that unless people get to eat items made with wheat they are still afraid to try and use it. So I usually make bread to bring which is always a big hit. After reading your book I decided to make wheat berries and bring a couple of dishes made with them too. Now my experience with wheat berries before this had not been very good. I made them once as an experiment and they did not turn out very well. I know now that I had not cooked them long enough. So when you ate them they would pop in your mouth. The sensation was like eating little bugs. I really couldn’t stand that. Anyway, this time they turned out perfect and I made the Fiesta Wheat Salad and also the Hot Chicken Casserole. I have to tell you that your recipes were a hit! Imagine these young adults surprise when they asked me what I had put in these dishes because they were really good and I told them wheat berries. They were so shocked they nearly fell off their seats. And they came back for seconds and thirds. At the end there wasn’t much left to bring home. I showed them your book, told them how great it was and also gave them your web site. I just wanted to say thanks again for all your hard work. And to tell you that you were absolutely right about the wheat salad. When these young people left they said “wow, I will go home and make bread and I for sure will make these recipes. I didn’t know it was so easy to use wheat.” Keep up the good work! You are doing a great job!
Connie Meyers

Fresh Ingredients

2 cups cooked diced chicken *optional

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Storage Ingredients

2 cups cooked wheat berries

3/4 cup chopped and toasted walnuts

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 cup tart dried cherries, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper together, set aside. Mix everything else together and toss with the olive oil mixture. ***The flavors in this salad really blend and taste so much better when prepared a day ahead of time. Also, you may want to consider adding 2 cups of cooked diced chicken for a complete meal.

My buddy Kris just returned from a family thing in Manti, Utah. She served this new salad recipe for the first time and said that everyone enjoyed it. I’ve found that wheat dishes are PERFECT for potluck dinners. They’re almost always better when prepared ahead of time, they travel and store well, and they add something totally new and interesting to the spread. No more frog eye salad for me. There’s a new Mayor in town!

Thank you for sharing this recipe, Kris! I hope to post your Zesty Wheat Berry And Black Bean Chili next! Are we getting healthy or what?

Fresh Ingredients

1/2 cup orange juice

2 Granny Smith apples, cored, diced

2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

1 shallot, minced

feta cheese (optional)

Storage Ingredients

3 cups cooked wheat berries, chilled

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cashews, toasted, coarsely chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

In a small bowl, mix the vegetable oil, orange juice, vinegar, coriander, and cinnamon. Set aside. To the wheat berries add apples, mint, shallots, and cranberries. Toss with the dressing to coat. Prior to serving, add the roasted cashews.

Thank you to Charlene Blackburn for this wonderful recipe!

I love it when people share their tried and true methods for using whole wheat berries. This satisfying salad is another perfect way to finally start enjoying the wheat that’s been stored in your home for years. With very little work you can create a dish that’s packed with nutrition and such a fun gourmet alternative to the usual salad selections!

But as you can see from the picture, I’m able to cook 4 cups of wheat in 10 cups of water with a tablespoon of salt, for 12 cups of whole wheat berries and still have plenty of room in this new slow cooker. My life is so cool. I’m trying to cook this much wheat about every ten days so that I always have it prepared and ready to add to recipes. The very first step to eating wheat is to start cooking wheat.

Here’s a short list of new recipes I’ve found. They all sound wonderful. I can’t tell you how sick I am of Ranch dressing.

www.phoenixmag.com/dining/recipes/200807/summer-wheat-berry-salad/ for Summer Wheat Berry Salad

http://able2know.org/topic/11173-1 for Citrus Chicken Wheat Berry Salad

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salads/sesame-ginger-wheat-berry-salad/ for Sesame-Ginger Wheat Berry Salad

http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=8933 for Wheat Berry Vegetable Salad

http://hiphostess.wordpress.com/category/recipes/salads for Arugula, Goat Cheese & Green Olive Wheat Berry Salad (love the name, photo looks like heck, I should talk)

Now this is the way to introduce your family to wheat berries.

NOT REALLY! 

A wheat grinder is a great ‘mommy tool’ but there are countless creative ways to use wheat besides just grinding it into flour. My very best strategy for using the wheat from our food storage is to simply cook it and then add it to normal recipes. (Click on the recipe section for a few examples.) If you Google major cooking sites like the Food Network and search ‘wheat berries’ you’ll find at least fifty tasty suggestions that incorporate whole wheat into soups, salads, sides, and main dish casseroles.

As I’ve mentioned before, I set a goal for my family where I serve something prepared with whole wheat berries at least once a week. Besides the obvious health and nutritional benefits, I want my family to be very comfortable and even enjoy eating the wheat we have stored. I want wheat to be a significant part of our regular diet.

So, don’t be discouraged if you haven’t purchased a wheat grinder. I believe that when it comes to our food storage budget, the most important investment has got to be the FOOD. And even in an emergency, a wheat grinder is something that could easily be shared.

Storage Ingredients

2 c. cooked whole wheat berries

3/4 c. Cream Of Wheat (non-instant variety)

1/2 tsp. salt

4 c. water (1-2 c. dehydrated milk powder may be added for extra creaminess and nutrition)

Bring water and salt to a boil. (Or, if using milk, bring just to a boil.) Gradually add Cream Of Wheat, stirring constantly with wire whisk until well blended. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 2-1/2 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add cooked whole wheat berries. Serve with brown sugar or honey and milk.

This is a crazy little hot breakfast porridge that isn’t quite as intense as a bowl of whole wheat berries, straight up. The leftovers can be stored in a square cake pan and cut into pieces, sort of like bread pudding, (right) and microwaved on an as needed basis all week long.

Fresh Ingredients

1 c. slivered fresh snow peas

1/4 c. chopped green onions

Storage Ingredients

3 c. cooked whole wheat berries

1 can garbanzo beans (15 oz.)

1/2 c. dried apricots, sliced

1/2 c. dried cranberries

3 Tbsp. toasted walnut oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over all the other combined ingredients. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Makes 8 side-dish servings.

I found this recipe in the February 2008 Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It was listed under the Healthy Category. I guess it won some sort of contest.

“My wife is always searching out new grains,” said winner Jamaine Batson of Salt Lake City. “This recipe gives wheat berries a nice light touch” said the judges.

Sounds good to me!

Fresh Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

15 10″ tortillas

toppings: baby spinach leaves, grated cheese, diced tomato, avocado, cilantro, and Ranch dressing

Storage Ingredients

2 c. cooked whole wheat berries

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. chili powder

* 1 packet of taco seasoning may be used as a substitution for individual spices

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Stir in the cooked wheat berries and spices. Spoon meat mixture onto warm tortillas and top with fresh baby spinach, grated cheese, diced tomato, avocado, cilantro, and Ranch dressing.

During one of my food storage presentations a woman shared how she substitutes cooked whole wheat berries for ground beef. She seasons it just as you normally would for tacos to create a very healthy vegetarian alternative. If that sounds too hard core, consider giving this recipe a try. I made them for my daughter that lives in Oregon and she thought they were amazing. Hippie tacos is her name for our little culinary invention. Guess she’s in the zone.