I have recently discovered wheat berry’s this year as I perused the loose bin aisles of oats and rice in my neighborhood market. A wheatberry is actually a whole grain or the entire wheat kernal. It contains the bran, germ and endosperm of the wheat – just not the hull. Whole wheat flour is actually made from the wheatberry.
The texture of this grain is unusual- it is chewy with a nutty flavor. Because they are whole grains they take a while to cook – about an hour. The easiest way to cook wheatberries is to add them to boiling water and then simmer until soft.
Recipes online for wheat berries include chili , stir-fry, pilafs and even a pudding recipe.
Here is a pilaf salad I created for a dinner party paired with The Why Swai recipe from May 2014! I found a similar recipe by Elie Krieger online but modified it to use cranberries instead of dried cherries, deleted the oil and added a carrot.
The dried cranberries add a sweet flavor and these days, dried cranberries can be found in the “original” flavor or have orange essence added to them which also works well.
High in protein- 9 grams per serving, high in fiber- 8 grams per serining, the wheatberry is also an excellent source of Vitamin K and Manganese (1) .
Wheatberry Pilaf Recipe
Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups hard wheat berries
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot , finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large pot combine the wheat berries and enough water to come 2 inches over the wheat berries. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 1 hour, or until tender. Drain and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries, carrots, celery, dried cherries, scallions, parsley, and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Ref. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/wheat-berry-salad-recipe2.print.html?oc=linkback