Guide To Grains

Whole grains provide fiber, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and numerous phytochemicals, as well as carbohydrates in the perfect package to give us the energy we need.

Quinoa

QUINOA (all varieties)

Quinoa is an amazing seed that behaves much like a grain in cooking. It cooks faster than rice, and it’s high in protein, fiber, and essential minerals.

COOKING TIME

15-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups water or broth

(= approx. 4 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

Add quinoa to a pot or pan. Add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed, making sure to prevent any sticking or burning on the bottom. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork + enjoy!

STORING QUINOA

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry or refrigerator for several years.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 8-12 months.

MORE TIPS

  • Try cooking quinoa in a rice cooker. (Hint: It works!)
  • Quinoa is usually white, but give black and red quinoa a try too!

Brown Rice

BROWN RICE + BROWN BASMATI RICE

Rice is arguably the most important food in the world, and with good reason! It keeps well and packs a lot of nutrition in each bite. Brown rice is one of the most nutritious varieties because it retains its naturally occurring manganese, selenium, and B-vitamins in the fiber-rice bran.

COOKING TIME

35-45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry brown rice or basmati brown rice

2.5 cups water

(= approx. 3 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Rinse the rice and add to a saucepan.
  2. Add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  3. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until tender, with most of the liquid absorbed.
  4. Let sit for five minutes, then fluff with a fork!

STORING BROWN RICE

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for 6 months, or in the freezer for 18 months.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-6 days, or in the freezer for about 6 months.

MORE TIPS

  • Short on time? Using a rice cooker can cut your cooking time in half!
  • Batch that! Cooking all the rice you’ll need at the beginning of the week can reduce your daily cooking time.

BLACK RICE

Black rice is gorgeous and super nutritious. High in iron, fiber and Vitamin E, it keeps a lovely, chewy texture that makes it a perfect base for cold dishes and power bowls.

COOKING TIME

50-60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry black rice

2 cups water

(= approx. 3 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Bring the rice and water to a boil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cook for 50-60 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed, and the rice is soft. (It will still be a bit chewy, and that’s a good thing!)

STORING BLACK RICE

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for 6 months, or in the freezer for 18 months.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-6 days, or in the freezer for about 6 months.

MORE TIPS

  • Want a shorter cook time? Try soaking the black rice in water overnight. When you’re ready to cook, drain the soaking water, and bring the rice and fresh water to a boil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, and then drain the excess water.

Rolled Oats

ROLLED OATS

Rolled oats are incredibly versatile. They’re great in smoothies, porridge and for all sorts of baked goods. They’re also packed with fiber, complex carbohydrates, micronutrients, and protein to carry us through the morning – no wonder they’re a breakfast favorite!

COOKING TIME

5-10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

½ cup rolled oats

1 cup liquid (one or a combination of the following: water or non-dairy milk)

(= approx. 3 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

Stovetop preparation:

  1. Combine oats + liquid in a pan.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  3. Simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally until oatmeal reaches desired thickness.
  4. Spoon into bowl and add toppings as desired.

Overnight oats preparation:

  1. Combine oats and liquid in sealable container.
  2. Store overnight in the fridge.
  3. Enjoy soft, refreshing oatmeal in the morning. No cooking required!

STORING OATMEAL

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for 4 months, or in the freezer for 8 months.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or keep in freezer for about 1 month.

Steel Cut Oats

STEEL-CUT OATS

Nutritionally, rolled oats and steel-cut oats are nearly identical. Steel-cut oats - or Irish Oats - are chopped (rather than steamed and rolled), which gives them a chunkier texture than rolled oats. They also take longer to cook, but they’re worth the wait!

COOKING TIME

15-30 minutes (depending on cooking method)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup steel-cut oats

3 cups water

(= approx. 3 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring water to a boil.
  2. Add oats and simmer on low for 20-30 minutes.
  3. When desired consistency is reached, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for a few minutes before eating.

STORING STEEL-CUT OATS

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for 4 months, or in the freezer for 8 months.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 3 months.

MORE TIPS

  • Microwaving steel-cut oats is a great shortcut and takes about a third of the time of the stovetop method. Be sure to use a large bowl, and watch for spillover!

Millet

MILLET

Millet is an ancient seed, and it’s still a staple for about a third of the world’s population. Millet has a mild corn flavor and is naturally gluten-free. Plus, it’s rich in B vitamins, calcium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.

COOKING TIME

30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup millet

2 cups water

(= approx. 3.5 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large, dry saucepan, toast the raw millet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until it turns a rich golden brown and the grains become fragrant. (But don’t let them burn!)
  2. Add the water to the pan and stir well (careful: since the pan is hot, the water will sputter a bit when you pour it in).
  3. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
  4. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer until the grains absorb most of the water (they’ll continue soaking it up as they sit), about 15 minutes. Avoid the temptation to peek a great deal or stir too much. Stirring vigorously will break up the grains and change the texture.
  5. Remove from heat and let sit covered for ten minutes.
  6. Fluff with a fork and serve warm!

STORING MILLET

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for 2 months, or in the freezer for 4 months.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

MORE TIPS

  • Millet dries out quickly, so simply reheat it with extra liquid.

Buck Wheat

BUCKWHEAT

Similar to quinoa, buckwheat is a seed that behaves like a grain. Despite the fact that its name contains “wheat,” this nutty, delicious pseudo-grain is completely gluten-free.

COOKING TIME

20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry buckwheat

1.5 cups water

( = approx. 2 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add buckwheat to a pot or pan.
  2. Add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  3. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Once cooked, it will have an al dente texture.

STORING BUCKWHEAT

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for 2 months, or in the freezer for 4 months.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-6 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 6 months.

BULGUR WHEAT

Bulgur wheat is simple to cook and full of fiber. We absolutely love it as a base for whole-grain salads, like tabbouleh.

COOKING TIME

15-30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup bulgur wheat

2 cups water

( = approx. 2 cups cooked)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring water to a boil.
  2. Add the dry bulgur wheat, cover pot and remove from heat. Allow it to rehydrate for 12-25 minutes.

STORING BULGUR WHEAT

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for 2 months, or in the freezer for 4 months.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-6 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 6 months.

Cous Cous

COUSCOUS

This grain-like pasta is a favorite in France, and for good reason: it’s delicious, it cooks in the blink of an eye, and it’s absolutely foolproof.

COOKING TIME

15-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup couscous

1 cup water

= approx 2.5 cups cooked

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.
  2. Remove the pan from heat and pour in the couscous and stir.
  3. Cover the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes. If the couscous hasn’t absorbed the water or still tastes crunchy after this time, cover and let it sit for a few more minutes.
  4. Gently break apart and fluff the cooked couscous with a fork before serving.

STORING COUSCOUS

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry, fridge, or freezer for about 1 year.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Orzo

ORZO

Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta product that originated in Italy. With the delicate texture of pasta and the unique shape of rice, orzo cooks very quickly and goes well with almost any dish!

COOKING TIME

9 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups orzo

3 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring water to a boil. Add orzo and cook uncovered for 9 minutes. Drain water and serve!

STORING ORZO

UNCOOKED: Will keep in an airtight container in the pantry, fridge, or freezer for 3 years.

COOKED: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

MORE TIPS

  • Orzo makes great leftovers, but it can get mushy. Cook it a little bit al dente to prevent the mushiness.

Polenta

POLENTA CORNMEAL

Polenta is very versatile and can be prepared as a delicious base for everything from ragu sauce to pizza crust. Because it is made from corn, polenta is naturally gluten-free.

INGREDIENTS

Depending on the outcome you’d like, the ratio of water to polenta will vary: Soft, creamy polenta requires 1 cup polenta with 5 cups water. Firm polenta requires 1 cup polenta with 4 cups water.

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring water to a boil.
  2. Stir in the polenta. Turn heat down to low and cook for 45 minutes.

STORING POLENTA CORNMEAL

UNCOOKED: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

COOKED: Refrigerate for 3-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

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