A whole grain is a grain consisting of three parts: the bran (the fiber-rich outermost layer), the germ (the small core that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and healthy fats), and the endosperm. Together, the bran and germ contain about a quarter of a grain’s protein. Refined grains are stripped of those outer layers so that just the endosperm remains. Thus, the grain goes from being a healthy carb, to just a carb, still offering protein (and calories), but little else.
Whole grains have been a staple in the human diet for thousands of years; only in the last hundred years have refined, processed grains (white rice, pearl barley, all-purpose flour) become the norm. The 1873 invention of the roller mill allowed for the efficient separation of the bran and germ from the endosperm. This was initially done to improve the grain’s shelf life. Exporters liked the longer shelf life. Consumers liked the taste. And refined grains and flours became the thing.
There are countless health benefits of eating whole grains as opposed to refined grains—and no downside. Whole grains are digested more slowly than refined grains, keeping insulin and blood sugar levels down. Eating whole grains also contributes to a lower mortality rate, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, reduced risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, reduced blood pressure, reduced risk of stroke, and reduced risk of cancer, especially cancers of the digestive system.
So now that you see that whole grains are your friend, following is a list of grains (and a few seeds, such as quinoa, that live life as grains), including for each grain a definition and description, information on how to cook it, and best uses for that grain. What I don’t do is tell you that this grain is higher in protein and that one has more antioxidants, because I don’t believe in eating foods just for the specific nutrients they contain. Instead, I believe you should eat a diet rich in real food—foods that come from the ground and are still in the state in which they were grown—including whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, with animal proteins in side dish portions. I don’t think eating healthy needs or should be any more complicated.
Amaranth is a gluten-free seed that is cooked and treated as a grain; it tastes a bit like corn that has been boiled for too long. Cooked, amaranth turns gelatinous and gummy (no bueno), so I use it in places where that texture can be hidden, such as in a porridge. If you want the corny flavor of amaranth without the texture, substitute ¼ cup amaranth in place of the quinoa in any quinoa recipe. You can also pop amaranth in a skillet, which gives it a mild, toasty flavor. Amaranth is commonly prepared this way in its native land, Mexico, where it’s subsequently used to make candy—think sesame brittle, only an amaranth version—and it’s often added to granola and other crunchy snacks. I don’t rinse amaranth before cooking it. It’s too small and would fall through the holes of any strainer I own. While I’m here, I should tell you that amaranth is also a leafy green vegetable; the seeds come from the flowers of the plant. You may find it at Indian or Middle Eastern markets or farmers’ markets. If you do, buy it and cook it up with garlic and olive oil, as if it were spinach.
Makes about 3 cups
Hulled barley is a whole grain, and contains gluten. It has an earthy flavor and chewy texture. The word “hulled” can be misleading; this means the tough outer hull has been removed, but the hull is removed from all grains before eating them, unless you’re a bird—think about the hull of a sunflower seed. Pearl barley is barley that has been polished, or stripped of the bran. It cooks in half the time, but what’s the purpose of eating barley if it’s not nutritious?
Refrigerate cooked barley and use it to make salads such as Broccolini and Sprout Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (here); plop a spoonful on top of a cup of yogurt with a spoonful of jam and granola; or make a quick savory breakfast yogurt with fresh herbs (such as parsley, oregano, mint, marjoram, basil, and/or chives) and harissa or Sriracha. It will last for a week.
1 cup hulled or pearl barley, rinsed
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the barley and salt and return the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 50 minutes for hulled barley, 25 minutes for pearl barley. Drain the barley and serve, or transfer to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
Makes about 3½ cups
The most common type of black rice is a medium-grain rice often referred to by the brand name Forbidden Rice. It turns dark purple when cooked and has a sweet, nutty unique flavor that makes Coconut Black and Wild Rice Pudding (here) special. You can also use black rice to make Ginger Scallion Rice (here), or in place of brown rice to serve with any Asian-leaning dish.
Black rice will keep for a week in the refrigerator. Heat leftovers with coconut milk to make a quick last-minute hot cereal; spoon it atop coconut yogurt and top with tropical fruit; or stir-fry it with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and green veggies. All rice is gluten free.
1 cup black rice, rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the rice, salt, and 3 cups water in a large straight-sided sauté pan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the rice for 20 to 30 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff gently with a fork. Serve, or transfer the rice to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
Makes about 3½ cups
Long-grain rice (which includes basmati, an aromatic Indian rice, and jasmine, an aromatic Thai rice) is thin and when cooked correctly, the grains don’t stick together. Being able to cook up a good pot of long-grain brown rice is essential to your grain bowl future, because brown rice is the heart and soul of the grain bowl world. At least, it is to mine. Brown rice became my gateway food to good health and what is known today as “clean” eating. Every time I eat a bowl of freshly steamed rice, whether it’s topped with curry, stir-fry, black beans, or poached salmon, I am reminded how much I enjoy eating it, and how great I feel after eating it. In a sense, it is the reason for this book. Thanks, brown rice.
The best way I’ve found to cook brown rice, which I now apply to any grains that are steamed (cooked with the lid on), is in a skillet with straight sides. This gives you more surface area than the more commonly used saucepan. More surface area means the rice turns out fluffier. It also helps the rice cook more evenly and faster. I rinse all grains before cooking them, but it’s particularly important to rinse brown rice. In recent years, the Food and Drug Administration has reported that brown rice contains traces of arsenic. (From the Department of: If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another.) Rinsing the rice can help reduce the levels of arsenic by as much as 30 percent.
Cooked brown rice will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week. With a little creativity and the recipes that lie ahead, having that cooked rice at your fingertips can make the difference between nothing to eat and dinner on the table. Use the cooked grains to make Quick and Easy Breakfast Fried Quinoa (here) or Red Rice Pad Thai (here; it’s okay if the rice isn’t red). Cooked rice is also used as a g-free binder for Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb Meatballs (here). So make more than you think you’ll need. All rice is gluten free.
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the rice, salt, and 2 cups water in a large straight-sided sauté pan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the rice for 20 to 30 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff gently with a fork. Serve, or transfer the rice to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
Makes about 3 cups
Short-grain brown rice is shorter than long-grain rice, and almost round in shape. When cooked, the grains get soft and clump together. I like to use it when making things where soft and clumpy are positive characteristics, like for making Slow-Cooked Brown Rice and Quinoa Porridge (here) and Sorghum Risotto Primavera with Bacon and Burrata (here). All rice is gluten free.
1 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the rice, salt, and 1¾ cups water in a large straight-sided sauté pan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the rice for about 45 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to give the rice a tumble before serving. Serve the rice or transfer to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
In the gluten-phobic world in which we live, buckwheat needs to think about rebranding itself, because, despite its name, it is not wheat, and it is gluten-free. Buckwheat groats (which are technically seeds), have an unusual shape—sort of like pyramids, or minuscule teeth and an earthy flavor and a crunchy, nugget-like texture. I don’t love buckwheat cooked. It reminds me of something you’d eat in a cold Russian winter when you didn’t have a lot of options. I love it toasted, however. And when it’s toasted with sweetener as it is in Rosemary Buckwheat Crunch (here), I am obsessed. In the hot cereal aisle, you’ll also see buckwheat that has been milled to the size of Cream of Wheat, which makes a hearty, earthy-tasting breakfast porridge. Or use it as a base for a breakfast rice bowl or as a more nutritious, higher-in-fiber alternative to the cornmeal in Millet Polenta (here).
Makes about 3 cups
Bulgur, traditional to Middle Eastern cooking, is hard wheat (so it contains gluten) that has been boiled, dried, and cracked. Because it is precooked, it takes only 10 minutes to prepare. The cracked quality gives it an interesting, almost porous texture that really absorbs the flavors around it. Most people know bulgur for its role in tabbouleh, but it’s a very versatile grain and can be used to make porridge (cook it with almond milk and cinnamon and serve with toasted almonds); instead of spelt to make the Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Spelt, Walnuts, and Pecorino (here); or in place of the farro in Summer Corn Farrotto with Brown Butter and Burst Sweet Tomatoes (here); or as a base for any grain bowl, particularly those with a Mediterranean vibe. As you can see, I’m a fan of bulgur.
1 cup bulgur, rinsed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the bulgur and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-high and gently boil the bulgur, uncovered, until it is tender but not mushy, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the bulgur and serve, or transfer to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
Makes about 3 cups
Farro is an Italian word for specific varieties of wheat grains also known as einkorn (farro piccolo), emmer (farro medio), and spelt (farro grande). All are chewy and hearty, similar to barley. Farro medio, an ancient, unhybridized grain also called “true farro,” is what I am referring to when I call for farro in these recipes. All farro varieties can be used interchangeably, and hulled barley and wheat berries, which have the same chewy characteristics as farro, can be used in their place. The majority of farro you will find, and what I call for in these recipes, is semi-pearled, which means the bran has been removed. If you manage to find and buy whole farro, which is available only at very few specialty stores and online sources, note that it will take about twice the time to cook. Some people swear by toasting farro before boiling it. I can go either way, but honestly, I don’t think I can tell the difference in the flavor. Farro is not gluten-free although many believe that unadulterated grains such as farro are easier to digest for the gluten challenged.
Farro is a handy grain to have around to toss into salads, such as the Umbrian Farro and Bean Salad with Celery Leaf Pesto and Mozzarella (here), or in place of the rice in Italian Antipasto Rice Salad (here), to make a dessert of Dark Chocolate Farro Goop with Toasted Walnuts Steamed Cream (here), to add to a finished soup or stew, or to make a quick breakfast, spooned over yogurt with honey and fresh or dried figs.
1 cup farro, rinsed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
If you are toasting the farro, adjust the oven racks so one is in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if you have it, and spread the farro out over the baking sheet. Toast the farro in the oven for 10 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during that time so it toasts evenly.
Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the salt and farro, reduce to maintain a gentle boil, and cook, uncovered, until the farro is tender but still chewy, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the farro and serve, or transfer to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
Makes about 3 cups
Freekeh is an Arab grain product made from durum wheat grains. The grains are harvested while they are still green, then sun-dried, roasted, and polished. In the Middle East, freekeh is sold whole or cracked, but in the United States, you’ll only find it cracked. It looks like green bulgur and has an intense smoky flavor from the roasting. Because it derives from wheat, freekeh does contain gluten, but some speculate that the treatment of the grains denatures the gluten, making it more easily tolerated by those sensitive to gluten. I love the green color and roasted flavor of freekeh in the Pomegranate Tabbouleh (here); it would also be delicious in place of millet in the Rainbow Carrot Salad with Millet, Feta, and Lemon Yogurt Dressing (here). I wouldn’t recommend it for a sweet porridge, but beyond that, let your freekeh imagination run wild.
1 cup freekeh, rinsed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the freekeh and salt, reduce the heat to medium-high, and gently boil the freekeh, uncovered, until it is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the freekeh and serve, or transfer to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
Makes about 1½ cups
You think quinoa’s small? Kaniwa, a high-protein, gluten-free seed native to the Andes mountains in Bolivia and Peru, is about half quinoa’s size. Cooked, kaniwa is crunchy, with the pop-in-your-mouth texture like the tiny fish eggs that coat a cut sushi roll. Kaniwa is even more nutrient dense than quinoa and comes in only one color: reddish brown. Use it in place of any of the other grains in the Four Grain “Nutella” Porridge (here). Or cook it on its own and combine it with other gluten-free grains, such as the quinoa in Red Beet and Quinoa Salad (here) or the Sambal Tofu Quinoa Bowl (here). Kaniwa is too small to rinse in any strainer I own; plus, unlike its cousin, quinoa, kaniwa does not have saponins on the exterior, which is what makes rinsing quinoa so important.
½ cup kaniwa
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the kaniwa, salt, and 1½ cups water in a small saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and gently simmer the kaniwa for 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the kaniwa rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff gently with a fork. Serve, or transfer the kaniwa to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking it to use in a salad.
Makes about 2 cups
Commonly sold under the trademarked name Kamut, Khorasan wheat is an ancient variety about twice the length of standard American wheat. The name comes from the region in Iran where the grains supposedly originate; Khorasan wheat has also been discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs. All to say that while it may be new to you, it is not new. Khorasan wheat takes over an hour to cook. The benefits? It has a rich flavor and wonderful, super chewy texture, is 30 percent higher in protein than modern American wheat, and is an unadulterated crop, which means it’s free of genetic modification and other abuse, though it does contain gluten.
1 cup Khorasan wheat (Kamut), rinsed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the Khorasan wheat and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-high and gently boil the grains, uncovered, until they are tender but still chewy, 60 to 70 minutes. Drain and serve, or transfer the grains to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking them to use in a salad.
Makes about 4 cups
Millet is a gluten-free grain (technically a seed) that most of us have known, even if not by name, for its role as the main ingredient in birdseed. Millet is a good source of protein, fiber, and other nutrients, and has been a staple in India and Africa for thousands of years; it has gained popularity here in the last decade, as more and more Americans strayed away from gluten. Cooked, millet can get gooey and gummy, which doesn’t matter when it is cooked into a porridge, such as Four Grain “Nutella” Porridge (here) or Coconut Millet Porridge (here). But I have also perfected a method for cooking millet that results in grains that are fluffy and not sticky at all, like the whole-grain version of couscous. And you don’t have to boil millet to eat it; you can also eat millet raw or toasted; I make Toasted Millet Frozen Custard (here) and I’ve also been known to throw it into chocolate chip cookie dough and Sweet and Salty Granola (here).
1 cup hulled millet, rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Adjust the oven racks so one is in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bring 1¾ cups water to a boil in a large ovenproof sauté pan (FYI: most sauté pans are ovenproof, even those with rubber handles) over high heat. Add the millet and salt, and return the liquid to a boil. Turn off the heat and put the lid on the pan. Put the pan in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the millet has absorbed all the liquid. Remove the millet from the oven and let it sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes; uncover and fluff gently with a fork. Serve or transfer to a wide bowl or baking sheet to cool to room temperature if you’re cooking the millet to use in a salad.
Oats are a gluten-free grain native to Europe; their distinct, toasty flavor comes from the fact that the grains are roasted after being harvested. Oats come in a variety of forms: whole grains, which are called whole oat groats, steel-cut (also called Irish oats or Scottish oats), rolled oats, and quick-cook oats. You don’t see whole oat groats often; they can be used in place of any chewy grain such as the farro in Spiced Apple Breakfast Farro (here), Summer Corn Farrotto Sweet (here), or Dark Chocolate Farro Goop (here). Steel-cut oats, whole oats that have been chopped into two or three pieces, are used to make porridge. Rolled oats have been steamed and then passed through a roller to flatten them. Quick-cooked oats (aka “instant oats”) are rolled oats that have been chopped up for quicker cooking. All have the same nutritional value, though instant oats have a higher glycemic index because the body processes them more quickly. Oats have more fiber than any other grain and are considered among the healthiest grains; they have a unique status in that companies may claim on the packaging that eating oats can help reduce the risk of heart disease.