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Whole Grain Recipes:
Vegetarian Comfort Food
We know that kale and
broccoli are important, but sometimes whole grain recipes just seem
so...comforting. Fortunately, there is a place in our vegan weight loss
diet for whole grains. The
first whole grain recipe to master is the basic one for
cooking
plain grains in water. The generic formula is:
- Boil 2 cups of water.
- Stir in 1 cup of whole grains and return to a
boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is
absorbed and grains are tender.
Some whole grains cook in 15 minutes, but others can take as long
as 2 hours. Some grains need a little more water, and some can benefit
from
other cooking methods. The grains that we cook most often are
rolled oats, brown
rice, millet, and quinoa.
Below
are recipes for these four grains to get you started:
Oats, Brown Rice, Millet, and Quinoa
Speedy Oatmeal
Recipe. We almost always eat whole grains for breakfast, and
oatmeal is our
favorite.
We add frozen berries or fresh fruit in season. Don't forget a
tablespoon of freshly ground flax seed.
How to
Cook Brown Rice. Our
brown rice never burns. It doesn't turn into starchy clumps when it is
cold. You can reheat it in the microwave or by pouring boiling water
over it. It is perfect every time. Try it!
How to Cook Millet.
This easy millet recipe makes a light and fluffy breakfast cereal. Add
diced vegetables and balsamic dressing for a grain salad. Top it with
chili or vegetable stew for a healthy dinner.
Cooking Quinoa.
If you have never tried quinoa (keen-wah), you are in for a treat. This
ancient grain is beautiful and delicious.
After you master the "basic four", you will be ready to try
some others, like the three grain rice in this picture. It contains
chewy wheat berries and rye berries.
Three Grain
Rice. This high fiber mix is a great side dish with curries and stews. It
takes 90 minutes to cook, but is very easy to make.
Vegetarian
Stuffed Peppers.
This peppers contain two whole grains: brown rice and corn.
They
are especially nice with red, orange, or yellow peppers.
Whole grains are super versatile. For example, you could make the
stuffed pappers above with quinoa or millet instead of brown rice.
Don't be afraid to experiment.
The best whole grains
for weight loss are intact
whole grains. See
this page on the calorie content of grains for a description
of intact whole grains. There is
also a chart that ranks grains and pasta by calorie density.
Whole Grain Pasta
For a change from intact grains, cook up some whole grain pasta.
Top
it with vegetables and an oil-free marinara sauce. Whole wheat
spaghetti is easy to find in most grocery stores. It usually takes
about 12 minutes to cook.
When company is coming, or when you have some time to spend in the
kitchen, make a pan of lasagna:
Vegetable
Lasagna Recipe. It is low fat, low sodium, and loaded with
healthy
vegetables. You could eat this lasagna for every meal and still lose
weight.
Some people, especially those with
celiac disease, must not eat grains that contain gluten. If you cannot
tolerate gluten, there are many alternatives. The Gluten Free Chef,
although not a vegan site, has a complete
list of gluten-free grains and ingredients, and also some
whole grain recipes.
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