Wheat Berries

This year I have been working to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our weekly meal plan - mostly for the health benefits.

(In case you're wondering, I'm not a member of PETA, but if I think about it long enough I start to sympathize with the animals. Okay yes, I acknowledge this might be a bit strange to some people. Don't misunderstand me though - I do love to eat meat!)

Alright, back to the topic at hand here. There are many protein-rich grains available - I have written about quinoa in the past on my blog. We tried another grain last week called wheat berries - it is the whole kernel from a wheat plant. They are packed with nutrients, including protein and fiber.

I made this wheat berry salad with strawberries & goat cheese - it was very tasty! I loved the nutty flavor of the wheat berries combined with the sweet strawberries and the tangy & creamy goat cheese.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/wheat-berries-with-strawberries-and-goat-cheese-recipe/index.html

The only downside of cooking with wheat berries is they take about one hour to cook (boil in water, similar to making rice). I'm used to making meals in about 20 to 30 minutes, but if I plan ahead I can make a batch of wheat berries ahead of time and then heat them up (if needed) right before a meal. Another plus is there are cold & hot recipes for wheat berrries, I'm finding they can be quite versitile.


Give it a try, I'm excited to cook more with wheat berries!