cheap food..grains!

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

Hi Guys, I have just discovered some interesting foodstuffs and wanted to share with you all. I got them from the local health food shop and have been experimenting. The bags of grains only cost 1 or 2 quid a bag and you only need a bit as they swell up like rice. The ones I've tried so far are quinoa and amaranth and I have eaten bulgar and couscous for years.

It makes a nice change from rice and you can whip up a meal for pence really. For example todays lunch was warm quinoa salad. I fried an onion in olive oil, added a cupful of quinoa, 2 cups of boiling water, squirt of tomato puree, a carrot and stick of celery whizzed up in blender, 1/2 a courgette cut into strips and a 1/4 of yellow and red pepper.

While it was cooking (takes about 1/2 and hour) I chopped up 1/2 a red onion into a big salad bowl and added olive oil, lemon juice and pepper. Then added some sprouted peas that were ready to eat. When it was all cooked I added them all together and sprinkled fresh chopped coriander over it. We ate the lot with warm bread and it was gorgeous!

I have started buying all my fruit and veg off the local market now and have saved a few bob, I just do a little internet shop using the codes on the code board for free delivery (eg free delivery off £25) for tins, toilet roll etc and stock up locally through the month.

I find that if I stock up on veg, we've always got a meal in now as I use the grains more. There are loads of others to try but I think they are a bit obscure and hard to get (triticale is one I've never seen in the shops).

From what I've read up, these sort of grains are packed with nutrients, most of the vitamins and essential amino acids and protein. I really enjoy eating them and I'm lucky that my kids like it too (going to try it in packed lunches for a change). I think that I'm going to save some money by eating like this and also its more healthy. I don't think I'll give up meat completely but will look at ways of substituting protein while I'm on my 'money diet'!

The sprouting is going well too, I'm sprouting wheatgrains at the mo and will put some in the bread next time I make some.

Sharra

I love couscous but haven't quite got to grips with quinoa yet (half a bag in the cupboard still waiting to be used up), I'll give your recipe a try. If you have any other successes I'd be really interested in trying them

ceridwen

I would think macrobiotic food is the most grain-oriented diet there is. One of the more readable books there is on that is "Keith Michell's Practically Macrobiotic Cookbook" and this includes 25 pages of grain-oriented recipes that might give you some ideas. I can be precise on that - as its yet another of my collection of books. ISBN 0-89281-848-4 (a 1987 book - my copy was printed 2000).

frosty

Sharra wrote: »

I love couscous but haven't quite got to grips with quinoa yet (half a bag in the cupboard still waiting to be used up), I'll give your recipe a try. If you have any other successes I'd be really interested in trying them

I also have a heap of quinoa in my cupboard:o ,My family say its tastes like budgie grit.:eek: :eek: :eek: .I wonder if anyone has a recipe where I could mix a bit of quinoa in and they wouldnt notice.:D

miffyhugmuffin

I did a macrobiotic diet for 3 months and it was the best I've ever felt, more energy etc. Apparently the B vitamins in the grains strengthen your nervous system. I added a bit more protein (more fish and the odd bit of meat) than you are strictly supposed to. It was quite a bit of effort in the kitchen though and that was the reason I stopped after 3 months. It makes you think about what you are eating and the effect it has on you, also the cooking mthods you are using too as these change the energy of the food you are eating. I just try to incorporate wholegrains into my diet now - brown rice, oats and wholegrain flour. This is a nice book on grains: 'A cook's guide to grains' by Jenny Muir.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooks-Guide-Grains-Jenni-Muir/dp/1840910739/ref=sr_1_1/202-2087476-6358226?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188723548&sr=8-1

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

Thanks for the book tips guys, I'll try and get them from the library. I sprouted some wheat grains and put a handful in my bread and had some for brekkie this morning and it was lovely, just like granary bread.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

frosty wrote: »

I also have a heap of quinoa in my cupboard:o ,My family say its tastes like budgie grit.:eek: :eek: :eek: .I wonder if anyone has a recipe where I could mix a bit of quinoa in and they wouldnt notice.:D

I wonder if you could stir a couple of spoonfuls into rice or couscous? I bought a bag of amaranth and the grains looked quite small so I'm going to use it as a thickener in soups and stews instead of flour as it contains more nutrients.

Seakay

Millet is good as well - supposed to be a source of iron and you cook it pilaf style as you would rice ie stir grains in a little oil in the pan, add twice as much warm water, cook with lid on for 20-30 minutes. (Fry onions first, add dried fruit, nuts, stock, herbs, bits of cooked meat, veg etc etc to taste or according to whether it is to be a meal or an accompaniament.)

Quasar

Yes DH you have made a good choice with the grains. They are indeed packed with nutrients expecially trace minerals and vitamin B, and protein. Not very high in calcium, but that can come from other foodstuff.

I find sprouted oats ok, while sprouted wheat is far too sweet for me. For sprouting I prefer chickpeas anyway.

You can crush the wheat and toast it lightly in a pan and then make a kind of porridge with it - very tasty indeed. Actually I just pour hot milk on it and don't actually cook it. Great fare on cold winter days!

scrimperjan

I sometimes add quinoa to brown rice, maybe one part quinoa to two parts rice, but add the quinoa about 10-15 minutes before the rice is done as it cooks more quickly. It's an excellent source of protein so I make a vegi stir-fry to go with it and feel very virtuous and healthy! I just give it a good rinse it in a sieve under the cold tap before I put it in the pan, and I haven't had a problem with it being bitter.

kunekune

My magic grain is barley, yes, the pearl barley that you put into scotch broth. It makes wonderful risottos.