Healing Foods: whole grains and whole-grain flours
Hosting the July 2011 edition of Healing Foods was a lot of fun. Healing Foods is a monthly event started in January 2010 by Siri of Cooking with Siri. It aims at focusing on a food item or, as in this case, a group of food items (whole grains and whole-grain flours), to highlight their health benefits. The event invites you to come up with healthy vegetarian recipes and you have responded with a series of very interesting dishes.
For each contribution I received, I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a short quote or brief description that summarizes it — a small bite, a sample of the delicacy to be fully savored by reading the relevant post.
Vardhini of Vardhini's Kitchen contributes Tabbouleh using Quinoa
Fresh vegetables and herbs accompany nutritious quinoa in this refreshing salad, a variation on the traditional Middle Eastern dish
Vanessa of Sweet Artichoke presents Chia and amaranth crackers (gluten free / eggless)
"Amaranth is an amazing source of nutriments... its tiny seeds are very high in protein, in an amino acid called lysine and in minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium!"
Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes contributes Eggless Oats, Cornmeal & Apple Scones
Dairy-free and eggless scones, satisfying and healthy (quite addictive, though) to be enjoyed with any spread you like for a quick breakfast.
Sukanya of saffronstreaks offers bulgur khichdi
"The goodness of broken wheat lies in its versatility, it can be paired with almost anything:" here it is paired with golden lentils, vegetables and tomatoes.
Janet of The Taste Space contributes Pomegranate-Lime Asparagus Quinoa Salad
"It had all the elements of a nice main meal salad with quinoa, asparagus and greens. The dressing is tart from the pomegranate molasses with a background of lime."
Marta of Mangiare è un po' come viaggiare presents insalata di grano e badenjan (wheat berry salad with eggplant yogurt dip) Badenjan, a Persian dip make with roasted eggplant and yogurt, is used as a dressing for cooked wheat berries.
Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes contributes Whole wheat adai dosai
Adai made with whole wheat, barley, sorghum and legumes was as good as the one made with soaking and grinding rice, "as soft and very delectable."
Harini-Jaya of Tamalapaku presents Home Made Paneer Pizza with Whole Wheat
India meets Italy when homemade paneer is used as topping for pizza with a whole-wheat flour crust.
Krithi of Krithi's Kitchen offers Ragi Kaara Biscuits
"Ragi or Finger Millet is a very healthy whole grain... sometimes not desirable for the palate. But... here comes the healthy and tasty ragi savory cookies."
Krithi of Krithi's Kitchen offers also Ragi Dosa
"Ragi or Finger millet is a healthy whole grain. This dosa can be prepared when you want to try something new but also quick and easy."
Muskaan of A2Z Healthy Vegetarian Cuisine presents Quinoa oats mix vegetable crepe / dosa
"A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa is high in protein, the protein it supplies is complete, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids."
Reva of Kaarasaaram contributes Squash Sandwich with Brown Rice and Soya Mince
Grilled butternut squash sandwiches a filling of brown rice and soya mince that is chewy and spicy, and provides a contrast of flavour and texture to the squash.
Janet of The Taste Space contributes also Sushi Bowl with Asparagus and Avocado
A lively citrus-flavoured sushi bowl... The key to keep this a sushi bowl, and not a rice salad, is to include the toasted nori strips.
And another contribution from Janet: Bulgur and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint and Hazelnut
A seemingly simple salad but the citrus-spiked bulgur salad works incredibly well with the cantaloupe. As with any salad, quality ingredients make this jump to the next level.
tigerfish of An Escape to Food brings us Radish, Raisins and Cauliflower Quinoa Salad
A main-course salad kept light "by incorporating raw and/or lightly cooked (e.g. gently steamed or instantly blanched) ingredients such as raw radish, and blanched/steamed cauliflower."
Siri of Cooking with Siri presents Wholegrain Idlis
'You would not feel the difference either in taste or texture when compared to the normal ones. An added bonus is the extra serving of whole grains incorporated" in them.
Richa of Hobby And More offers Multigrain Multifruit mini bread Loaf
"These tiny slices have whole wheat flour, bread flour, flaxmeal and quinoa! And the fruits! Strawberries, blueberries and Apple! One whole mish mash of whole lot of stuff!"
Richa of Hobby And More offers also Blueberry Oats Semolina Laddoo (vegan)
A "Yummy Vegan Laddoo! (Not a truffle or a cookie, but somewhere in between) This one has blueberries, oats, semolina and some cashews and raisins!"
Kaveri of Palakkad Chamayal offers Barley Coconut Milk Payasam
This recipe is based on the traditional Goduma Pradhaman (Whole Wheat Payasam). "The combination of cooked barely simmered in coconut milk with jaggery was an instant hit."
Krithi of Krithi's Kitchen offers yet another dish: Barley Upma
Krithi "recently discovered pressed barley or barley flakes which... can be substituted for rolled oats or quick cooking oats or poha(aval)... or rice" (in pongal).
Shobha of Food Mazaa presents Jowar ki Roti ( Millet)
Roti made with millet flour (Jowar atta, also known as Jowari, Juar. Rolling this roti is a bit difficult, so you can roll it between sheets of plastic wrap.
Devi Sujatha offers Dhebra- A Gujarati Delight
Ingredients:
- Bajra/millet flour - 1/2 cup
- Wheat flour - 1/2 cup
- Besan - 1/4 cup
- Semolina/ rava - 2 tbsp
- Kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves - 1/4 cup (replace with fresh methi leaves, if available)
- Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
- Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
- Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
- cooking oil - 2 tbsp
- salt 1/2 tsp or to taste
- live yogurt - 1/2 cup
- oil for deep frying
Method:
Mix the flours in a bowl. Add rava and kasuri methi. Add oil, ginger garlic paste, sesame seeds and all the other seasonings to the flour. Now mix yogurt with little water and add to the flour mixture little by little to and make into a semi soft dough. Add water if necessary to bring out the required consistency. Cover the dough and leave it overnight to ferment or atleast for 4 hours.
The next day, before making dhebras, heat oil in a kadai, for deep frying. cover the work top with plastic wrap. grease it with oil. Make small balls out of the dough. Pat the balls flat with finger tips. Slip these to the hot oil. Fry in a medium flame until brown. Enjoy these dhebras with a dip of your choice. Makes a perfect heathy snack.
You can make this even healthier by adding Corn flour (Makka Cholam).
Denny of Oh Taste n See offers Baked Ragi Lauki Kofta Curry
Finger millet (ragi) flour is used as binding agent in these koftas, which are then baked instead of fried: "much easier and much healthier."
Anu of Anu's Healthy Kitchen contributes Corn Stuffed in Spinach Roti Pockets
Grilled fresh sweet corn has a great flavor and is a very healthy snack to bite into when you just are standing on your deck and watching the nature around.
Another contribution from Janet of The Taste Space: Millet Bowl with Spinach, Leek and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
"My mission: figure out how make the best fluffy millet. Because it isn’t just for the birds. Nutty and reminiscent of spongy couscous, I really liked it!"
R & R of Tadka Pasta presents Multigrain Bread Tune-up
"With a cup of whole wheat flour adding to the fiber content, the goodness of oats and the palatable notes from an entire cast of supporting grains, this is a recipe that we turn to often."
Vatsala of Show and Tell offers Brown rice Dosa
"I decided to make dosa with brown rice and I'm very happy with the result. After trying the dosa with brown rice, now I've stopped using white rice for dosa."
Brii of briggishome contributes oat and vegetable soup:
On the surface, it is a simple soup, but the cooking method is special: the soup is baked in the oven, and can be prepared to be eaten immediately or to be stored for future use.
Jaya of Desisoccermom presents Quinoa, barley and wild rice salad
"You can make this salad a day or two ahead to save on time and to let the flavors blend nicely. In fact, it does taste better the day after it is made."
Denny of Oh Taste n See offers also Whole wheat - wheat berry dosa
(and receives my apologies for misplacing her email and leaving out her second contribution)
"This is by far the crispiest dosas I had ever made – and healthiest too. Chock full of fiber from the whole grains. The batter itself is speckled with the outer bran of the wheat."
Simona of briciole prepared rye apple cake (torta di segale e mela)
A great cake for a sweet breakfast or to go with a cup of tea: rye flour, almond meal and an apple give to the cake a very satisfying flavor and texture.
Simona of briciole prepared also rye bread with thyme flowers and chive blossoms
Whole-wheat and rye flours meet blossoms from Simona's herb garden and the result is a lovely, healthy bread perfect for spreads and cheese.
Thank you so much to all who participated and contributed an array of beautiful recipes full of healthy whole grains and whole-grain flours. I am sure readers will find this roundup a great ource of inspiration for enriching their diet. And thanks to Siri of Cooking with Siri for giving me the opportunity to host her event. I do hope I have not left anybody out of the roundup. If you find that, notwithstanding my best intentions, I actually have omitted a post, please send me a note.
Before I proceed with some concluding remarks, there is an important piece of business to take care of: the assignment of two books to two participants. Excluding myself and Siri, I have received contributions from 22 bloggers, which I entered in a list according to the order of submission of their first contribution. The random number generator gave me as result 7 and 21, so the result is (drum roll, please):
- Cooking At Home With Pedatha goes to Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes
- Sukham Ayu goes to Brii of briggishome
Congratulations to the winners!
And that concludes my roundup, which will be added to all the previous ones on the Healing Foods event page. As you read this, the August 2011 edition of Healing Foods is already under way, hosted by Amy of Savory Moments who chose the theme: zucchini and summer squash. Amy will be happy to receive your contribution until August 31, 2011.
Arrivederci a presto
