I am always, always, trying to work grains into every food category I possibly can from appetizers to desserts. In case I haven't mentioned it, I just love whole grains. How could I help it?
I grew up on a grain farm in the middle of North Dakota, whre my family planted wheat, barley and oats. My mom was experimenting with wheat germ and triticale long before most people had even heard of them, let alone knew they were grains. While at college, (NDSU), I worked for an oat and wheat breeder, planting seeds, watering, fertilizing, harvesting, milling and counting (yes, counting) the finished grains to determine the yield of the latest variety of bearded oats or wheat.
My job during college was working at a research facility (General Nutrition), where we experimented with all kinds of grains (surprise!) that were sold in the GNC stores. When I came to Betty Crocker, I was assigned to Big G. So no surprise that I got to be the editor of a spectacular book, The Betty Crocker Whole Grains Cookbook. It's been a great pleasure to learn about grains all my life. And I'm still learning!
My favorite recipe from the Whole Grain cookbook? They're all favorites! But here's one that so many love:
Raspberry-Barley Pudding
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Start to Finish: 3 Hours 35 Minutes
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked hulled barley
1 container (6 oz) French vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup maple-flavored syrup
1 cup frozen (thawed) reduced-fat whipped topping
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (page 17)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) raspberries
Dash ground cinnamon
Additional chopped walnuts, if desired
1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat water to boiling. Stir in barley; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1 hour or until tender. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. In medium bowl, mix yogurt and maple syrup. Gently stir in whipped topping. Stir in barley, walnuts and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Stir raspberries into pudding. Sprinkle pudding with dash of cinnamon and additional walnuts before serving.
6 servings (3/4 cup each)
1 Serving: Calories 210 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 45mg; Total Carbohydrate 34g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 12g); Protein 5g
% Daily Value: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 8%; Iron 4%
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Other Carbohydrate, 1/2 High-Fat Meat, 1/2 Fat
Carbohydrate Choices: 2
Remember rice pudding? Well, this is even better, with more texture and chewiness, plus the goodness of barley. Instead of the raspberries, you can try other fresh fruits, like blueberries or sliced strawberries, in this yummy, creamy pudding.
Whole Grain Serving: 1/2