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ANCIENTCEREAL GRAINS

INTRODUCTION: Cereal grains are seeds of the grass family. The word “cereal” is derived from “Ceres,” the Roman goddess of grain. Since grains can be easily grown and stored, and are relatively in low cost and contribute important nutrients, they staple foods in the diets of most population groups in the world. Wheat, corn (maize), rice, rye, oats and barley are the most important cereals used for human food, but ancient grains like teff and millet are making their way back into the diets of many people all around the world. Quinoa and chia seeds are not true cereal grains but are often grouped with the other grains because their nutritional profile and uses are similar to "true" cereal grains.

CHIA

Chia is an edible seed that comes from a desert plant grown in Mexico dating back to Mayan and Aztec cultures. "Chia" means strength, and folklore has it that these cultures used the tiny black and white seeds as an energy booster. The mild, nutty flavor of chia seeds makes them easy to add to foods and beverages. They are most often sprinkled on cereal, sauces, vegetables, rice dishes, or yogurt or mixed into drinks and baked goods. Health Bonus: Chia seeds are a good source of healthy omega-3 fats and calcium.

BULGUR

When wheat kernels are boiled, dried, cracked, then sorted by size, the result is bulgur. This wheat product is sometimes referred to as “Middle Eastern pasta” because it can be used as a base for all sorts of dishes. Because bulgur has been precooked and dried, so it needs to be cooked for only about 10 minutes to be ready to eat – about the same time as dry pasta.

Health Bonus: Bulgur is a whole grain and high in fiber.

QUINOA

Quinoa (keen-wah) comes from the Andes in South America, where it was cultivated by the Inca. Quinoa cooks in about 10-12 minutes and can be incorporated into soups, salads and baked goods. It needs to be rinsed to remove bitter compounds from the surface of the seeds. Though much of our quinoa is still imported from South America, farmers in high-altitude areas near the Rockies are also beginning to cultivate quinoa.Quinoa is a small, light-colored round grain, similar in appearance to sesame seeds and is also available in other colors, including red, purple and black.

Health bonus: The abundant protein in quinoa is complete protein, which means that it contains all the essential amino acids our bodies can’t make on their own.

TEFF

It is estimated that teff is the principal source of nutrition for over two-thirds of Ethiopians, who make it into a spongy injera flatbread. It's also widely consumed in neighboring Eritrea and other countries in the Horn of Africa. Teff grains are minute – just 1/150 the size of wheat kernels – giving rise to the grain’s name, which comes from“teffa,”meaning “lost” in Amharic.This nutritious and easy-to-grow type of millet was largely unknown outside of Ethiopia, India and Australia, but today it is getting more attention for its sweet, molasses-like flavor and its many uses. It can be cooked as a hot cereal, added to baked goods, or even made into “teff polenta.” Teff grows in three colors: red, brown and white.

Health bonus: Teff has over twice the iron of other grains, and three times the calcium.

MILLET

Millet is not just one grain but the name given to a group of several small related grains that have been around for thousands of years and are found in manydiets around the world.Millets are the leading staple grains in India, and are commonly eaten in China, SouthAmerica, Russia and the Himalayas.Instead of being sold only as bird seed, people in the United States are beginning to realize what they've been missing. Millet can be used in everything from flatbreads tohot cereals,side dishes and desserts. In addition to being cooked in its natural form, millet canbe ground and used as flour (as in Indian roti) or prepared as polentain lieuof corn meal.Millet canbe found in white,gray, yellow or red; and the delicate flavor is enhanced by toasting the drygrains before cooking.

Health bonus:Millet is naturally high in protein andantioxidants, and can help control blood sugar and cholesterol. For those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, it’s gluten free.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To become familiar with some non-traditional whole grains and seeds, nutritional advantages of each, and how they can be prepared.

Questions:

  1. In terms of appearance, flavor, and texture, what was the best thing you ate today?
  2. What was the worst thing you ate today and why was it the worst?

Chia Seed Oatmeal Snack Bars

2 cups old-fashioned oats¼ cup dried cranberries

½ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds½ cup honey or agave nectar

½ cup raw shelled sunflower seeds2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 tbsp chia seeds

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Coat a square 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Spread oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds on a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, stirring twice for even toasting. Transfer oats and seeds to a medium bowl. Stir in cranberries; set aside.

2. Pour honey (or agave nectar) into a small saucepan and bring to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer until honey reaches275 ºF on candy thermometer (about 7 minutes). Stir in tahini.

3. Pour honey-tahini mixture over oat mixture; stir to combine. Spread evenly into 9-inch baking pan. Let cool completely. Cut into 24 bars.

Tabbouleh with Feta

1 cup bulgur wheat

1 ½ cups boiling water

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, minced

½ cup loosely packed mint, minced

½cup loosely packed cilantro, minced

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1teaspoon salt

1teaspoon pepper

1 cup reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese

1. Place bulgur in a large, heat-proof mixing bowl. Pour boiling water, lemon juice and olive oil over bulgur. Stir to blend, cover and allow to stand 1 hour.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients, except feta cheese. For class purposes, spread the mixture out on a jelly roll pan, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. (Normally, the mixture would be refrigerated for at least 3-4 hours.) Just before serving, put the mixture back in the bowl and stir in the feta.

Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly in cool water

2 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup pine nuts

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ large onion, chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1. Put the broth and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender, but still firm.

2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. (The pine nuts will burn easily, so stir them constantly and remove them from the heat when they just start to turn brown.) Remove pine nuts from pan and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

4. When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onions, parsley, salt and pepper and serve.

Hot Teff with Dates and Honey

1 cup whole grain teff

3 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¾cup chopped walnuts

¾ cup date pieces

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons honey

Serve with milk, if desired

1. Set a heavy, 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the teff and toast, stirring frequently until the grains emit a mild, toasty aroma and begin to pop, 3 to 6 minutes. (You will notice little white dots of popped grain but may not hear the popping.)

2. Turn off the heat and stand back to avoid sputtering. Add 3 cups of boiling water, the butter, and cloves. Stir well. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom. Mash any lumps against the side of the pan.

3. Stir in ½ cupwalnuts, dates, salt, and honey. Cover and continue cooking until the grains are tender and one color throughout (there should be no whitish colored grain). Add additional water, if necessary, to thin out the mixture.

4. Remove from the heat and let the teff set, covered, for 5 minutes. Top with additional ¼ cup chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin and Millet Muffins

2/3 cup whole millet 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup skim milk1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup canned pumpkin purée1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F (use an oven thermometer to check the temperature).
  2. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin pan; set aside.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add millet and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown and just beginning to pop, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer millet to a plate to cool.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, milk, butter, pumpkin, granulated sugar and brown sugar; set aside.
  5. In a medium bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cooled millet then gently fold into egg mixture in large bowl until just combined (batter will be lumpy).
  6. Spoon batter into lined muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.
  7. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Teacher’s Notes

  1. To speed up the process, you’ll need to pre-soak the bulgur in the boiling water and lemon juice for the Tabbouleh recipe.
  2. Be sure the Chia Seed Bars are cooled completely, or they will just be one big pile of “stuff”—they won’t hold their shape.
  3. Additional information on whole and ancient grains can be found at:
  • Whole Grains A to Z | The Whole Grains Council (source of reliable information even though they are in the business of promoting the sale of whole grains)
  • Bobs Red Mill Natural Foods Bob’s Red Mill—source for many of the grains and seeds. Also have many recipes, but my experience is that sometimes they need to be tested before using them.
  • King Arthur Flour - Try it Once, Trust it Always
  • Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries & More: Maria Speck: 9781580083546: Amazon.com: Books—a really interesting recipe book, but most recipes probably not for middle or high school
  1. To demonstrate how much fiber chia seeds have, put 1 tbsp chia seeds in 1 ½ cups cool water (in a clear container like a glass). Let set for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The water will become thick and viscous as the soluble fiber come out of the seeds and becomes dissolved in the water. This is the basis of a popular Mexican drink called “chia fresca” which is quickly becoming popular in the US. Go to this link for more information and a recipe Chia Fresca Recipe - Mexican Lemonade With Chia Seeds
  2. Sources:
  3. Hy-Vee Stores
  4. Bob’s Red Mill
  5. Whole Grains Council
  6. Introductory Foods by Scheule and Bennion, 2015, Pearson Education, Inc.