What’s more, these ancient grains and grasses add abundant flavor, texture and depth to very simple dishes, everlasting them out of the ordinary. These recipes aim to demonstrate something of the grain family’s versatility. It’s impossible not to love healthy food that’s packed with flavor, and these amazing grain recipes work perfectly with roasted veg, such as pumpkin and squash recipes.
Toasted millet tabbouleh with heirloom tomatoes
Toasted millet tabbouleh with heirloom tomatoes
Serves 4 as a side dish or light lunch This bright and versatile salad goes very well with lamb, chicken or fish. Millet is best eaten warm and on the day of cooking. Ingredients:
200g millet4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serveHalf a cucumber, peeled, deseeded and very finely diced1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped1 large bunch mint, finely choppedJuice of 1 lemon1 small red onion, finely chopped4 tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped2 tbsp chopped pistachios½ tsp ground allspice500g mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered according to size, to serve
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Hearty faro, kale and borlotti bean soup
Hearty faro, kale and borlotti bean soup
A thick, Tuscan-style soup, rich in vegetables, beans and faro (use spelt if you can’t find faro. In fact, hey are often the same grain labeled differently, depending on variety). The soup is vegetarian as is, but you can add a few chopped rashers of smoked bacon with the onion mixture to deepen the flavor. Serves 4-6 Ingredients:
250g dried borlotti beans8 tomatoes, roughly chopped5 sage leaves4 garlic cloves, left whole2 tbsp olive oil1 large onion, chopped1 large carrot, chopped2 celery ribs, chopped200g faro500ml vegetable stock150g kale, roughly shreddedParmesan, extra virgin olive oil and rustic bread, to serve
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Warm autumn salad of freekah, duck and figs
Warm autumn salad of freekah, duck and figs
An opulent and substantial salad based on cracked freekah, otherwise known as green wheat. Freekah can be found in health food, Turkish, Persian and Iranian shops; substitute with spelt, faro, pearl barley or bulghar wheat if you can’t find it. Swap crumbled feta for the crispy duck to make a vegetarian salad and by all means use leftover roast lamb or sliced, pan-fried duck breast instead of the Chinese-style duck. Serves 6 Ingredients: For the salad:
1 Chinese-style crispy duck 200g cracked freekah (green wheat) 6 plump figs, halved 15g butter, very soft 50g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped A small bunch of parsley, chopped
For the dressing:
200ml red wine 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp honey 6 tbsp olive oil
Method:
Wild rice salad with a miso dressing
Wild rice salad with a miso dressing
This salad makes an excellent accompaniment to baked fish fillets or roast chicken if you’d like to add another component. Serves 4 Ingredients: For the dressing:
2 tbsp white miso paste 2 tbsp mild-flavored honey 4cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 limes, juice only
For the salad:
400g pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes 2 tbsp olive oil 175g wild rice 100g edamame (soy) beans, defrosted 1 head red chicory, trimmed and leaves separated 4 spring onions, shredded 1 avocado, stoned and diced 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
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Roast trout stuffed with her quinoa and peppers
Roast trout stuffed with her quinoa and peppers
This is such a useful recipe for feeding a crowd as it can be prepped earlier in the day and popped into the oven when needed. Feel free to use two sides of salmon instead of trout; both work perfectly well. Just keep an eye on cooking times because salmon sides are often thicker and might need a few more minutes in the oven. Serves 6 Ingredients:
4 red, yellow or orange peppers125g quinoa300ml vegetable stock100g stoned olives, roughly chopped2 large handfuls soft herbs, chopped (parsley, mint, basil, chives, coriander and a little tarragon are all good choices)Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated zest and a squeeze of juice3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan2 x 500g sides trout or salmon, cleaned and pin-boned
Method:
Maple, sour cherry and almond granola
Maple, sour cherry and almond granola
Rolled oats make a robust, free-flowing granola. If you prefer ‘clusters’ of oats in your breakfast, replace half the rolled oats with porridge oats, press together very firmly when combining the ingredients and go gently when you stir the mixture as it cooks so as not to break any clusters up. Makes about 10 bowlfuls Ingredients:
120ml maple syrup80ml olive oilPinch salt1 tsp vanilla extract300g rolled oats100g chopped almonds50g sunflower seeds100g dried sour cherriesCold milk and/or yoghurt and fresh fruit, to serve
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Blackberry and rye waffles
Blackberry and rye waffles
Nutty and mild rye flour is the perfect choice for a waffle batter with a twist (incidentally, this batter can be used to make Scotch-style pancakes if you don’t own a waffle iron). Blackberries, or any other seasonal berry, add pockets of extra sweetness and go perfectly with mild honeycomb. Makes 6-8 waffles (depends on size of waffle iron) Ingredients:
360ml milk1 egg, lightly beaten1 tsp vanilla extractHalf tsp salt100g rye flour100g spelt flour (white or wholemeal)2 tsp baking powderA squeeze of lemon juice40g butter, melted50g blackberries, roughly chopped, plus extra to serveA mild honeycomb or honey, to serveGreek yoghurt, to serve (optional)
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