Cookbook expands grain possibilities
‘SUPERGRAINS’
By Jenni Muir (Hamlyn, $29.99)
Quick look: Whole grains aren’t just for bread baking. Embrace them with help from more than 120 approachable recipes in this cookbook, which demystifies quinoa, kamut, farro, spelt, amaranth, teff, sorghum, millet and more.
What’s inside: Whole grains are good for you. But, sometimes, they conjure up dire, thick-and-chewy cardboard-like images and textures. This 192-page page hardcover book shows home cooks how whole grains can be flavorful as well as healthful for breakfast, lunch and dinner – even dessert.
For the morning, there’s granola, muesli and porridge – along with more interesting recipes like Quinoa and Chia Pancakes with Mango and Basil Compote and Farro with Apricots, Pomegranate and Pine Nuts.
For lunch and dinner, look for Persian-style Barley Soup, Sorghum Chicken Salad with Coconut and Lime, Layered Cornmeal with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Shellfish and Saffron Stew (with wild rice) and Quinoa, Chicken and Spinach Soup.
Sweets include Corn Ice Cream, Oat and Praline Ice Cream, Almond Cake and Chocolate Spelt Cake.
The back of the book features a directory, which identifies the grain by flavor characteristics as well as pairings and nutrition information. A cooking guide lists stovetop boiling time, liquid amounts and yield. There’s also a listing of basic recipes such as grilled chicken, roast chicken, chicken jus, wild mushroom sauce and coconut broth.
Recipes are topped with vignettes about the dish, and most come with several cook’s notes. A few are almost too basic. The oatmeal, for example, has three ingredients: oats, water and salt. The popcorn has two: vegetable oil and popcorn.
What’s not: Photographs are warm, vibrant and inviting, but not all recipes are accompanied by images. There are also no title pages separating different groupings of recipes, which are organized in the table of contents by type of dish – from breakfast cereals and breads to soups, salads, stews, other mains, sides and more.
Layered Cornmeal with Spicy Tomato Sauce
From “Supergrains” by Jenni Muir
2 1/4 cups coarse cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 ounces Fontina or Parmesan cheese, sliced
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper, to taste
5 cups canned tomatoes in juice
1 cup red wine
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Large handful of basil leaves, torn
2 teaspoons chopped oregano or thyme
Chopped chilies
Fried garlic cloves
Fresh cilantro or basil leaves
Place the cornmeal, salt, cumin and cayenne in a large, heavy saucepan. Slowly whisk in 4 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Stir in the butter, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions, cinnamon and cumin until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper to taste and 1 cup water, then bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and wine and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally. Season to taste, adding the cayenne and fresh herbs. Discard the cinnamon.
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil so that it hangs over the rim. Press a layer of polenta into the base of the pan, smoothing over the surface. Cover with a layer of tomato sauce, then repeat the layers to fill the pan, ending with polenta. Chill, covered, for 1 hour to set.
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lay the sliced cheese over the top and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until piping hot. Serve sprinkled with chilies, roasted garlic cloves, fresh cilantro or basil, fried eggplant or grilled or barbecued meats.
Multigrain Scones
From “Supergrains” by Jenni Muir
1 tablespoon semi-pearled wheat-type berries such as farro
2 tablespoon wild rice
1 1/2 cups all purpose wheat-type flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon butter, diced
4 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon millet
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 small egg
Cook semi-pearled wheat and wild rice together in pan of water (according to package directions) for 45 minutes. Rinse and drain thoroughly, then spread out on a plate to dry. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Blend in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs, then stir in the sugar, raw millet and the cooked wheat and wild rice. You should be adding about 6 tablespoons of grains total. Mix the buttermilk into the other ingredients to give a soft dough.
Dust a work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it. Knead the dough briefly, then roll out the dough into a square 1 ½ inches thick. Trim the edges and cut a grid into the rolled dough to give 12 squares. Dust a baking sheet with flour and nestle the scones close together on it.
Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it lightly over the tops of the scone to glaze. Bake for 20 minutes or until the scones are risen and golden. Serve warm.
Yield: 12
Quinoa, Chicken and Spinach Soup
From “Supergrains” by Jenni Muir
1 medium whole chicken
2 quarts water
2 onions
3 celery sticks
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 bouquet garni
5 to 7 garlic cloves
1 large bunch of cilantro
6 sprigs of parsley
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 pound baby spinach leaves
6 sprigs of mint
3 jalapeno chilies, finely chopped
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
5 scallions, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Place the chicken in a large stockpot with the measured water. Halve one onion and roughly chop 2 celery sticks and add them to the pot, together with the carrots, herbs, 4 unpeeled garlic cloves and the stalks from the cilantro and parsley.
Bring to a boil, then half-cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is done.
Carefully lift out the cooked chicken, allowing the liquid in the cavity to run back into the pot. Set the chicken aside to cool. Strain the stock, discarding the solids, and rinse out the pot.
Finely chop the remaining onion, celery and garlic. Melt the butter in the stockpot, add the chopped vegetables and sauté gently for 5 minutes. Add the spinach, cilantro, parsley and mint leaves, plus the chilies, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa and the scallions. Reduce the heat, then half-cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Add some hot water to the soup if it is reducing rapidly.
Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred into bite-size pieces. When the soup has been cooking for 30 minutes, stir in the chicken and allow it to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings