Homegrown Sprouts and Cereal
4 July 2008 by Jean Johnson
My friend Laura generally checks a cookbook out from the library first to see if she wants to purchase it. That makes sense, as does Amazon’s habit of putting sample chapters up for viewers.
In the spirit of all that and because Cooking Beyond Measure is just weeks away from hitting the shelves, I inserted a couple sample recipes in last week’s post. And since more is better, here’s another recipe from the book this week plus a video on doing your own sprouts.
It celebrates the raspberries that we Portlanders are glorying in at the moment. It also nudges those who want to ratchet up their nutrition in the direction of sprouts. Home grown sprouts. What could be more American on this 4th of July weekend?
Quinoa with Raspberries and Cashews
Cooking Beyond Measure, page 22
When I made this for friend Sandy Kypfer, she said “This is good. You’ll have to include it in your cookbook.” I think what mainly attracted her were the fresh raspberries we picked out along the back fence, but that’s how Plain Jane cooking works. Build a wholesome no frills foundation and then bring on the starlets.
Recipe Note: Spoon leftover quinoa, sprouted wheat berries, and oat bran into cereal bowls. Top with fresh raspberries, pour on unsweetened soy milk, and garnish with raw cashews and a pinch of nutmeg.
Details
~Quinoa—leftovers chilled down in the refrigerator—is the mainstay here. Over that scatter enough chewy sprouts and bran to keep things interesting.
~Berries and cashews are the ultimate in fast fruit since there is no stopping off at the chopping board.
On Sprouting Grain, Seeds, and Beans—
For breakfasts (cereals, pancakes, and sweet breads), wheat sprouts in earlier than later stages are best because as they don’t have the green chlorophyll sprouts acquire as they grow. Whatever the meal, though, sprouted wheat is amazingly welcome stuff—so much so that once people discover the sprouting jar, it gets quite a workout as the oh so sweet and helpful Dulce Del Rio shows.
Mung beans, alfalfa seeds, and wheat berries (kernels of wheat) sprout nicely in a wide mouth quart jar with a circle of screen cut to fit the top and a canning band to hold the screen in place.Be conservative with your grain, seeds, or beans as they gain considerable volume when they first swell and then send out shoots that mark the beginnings of new life. A nice jar lid full or mound in the palm of your hand is good.
Soak whatever you’re sprouting in water overnight. In the morning, drain the liquid and rinse. Keep the jar on its side so the sprouts have room to grow. Continue rinsing daily so they stay fresh. If you’re using sprouts in salads or soups, set the jar by a window the last day so light can help develop the chlorophyll.
It’s true that sprouting can seem like quite the project if you’ve not tried it. But remember the story about the two armies that were down to nothing but legumes…The bad guys boiled their beans. The good guys sprouted theirs before they cooked them and with the vibrance they got from this superior nutrition, kept those white hats in place.
5 Responses to “Homegrown Sprouts and Cereal”
yum!
By m00n on Jul 16, 2011
Thanks for sharing. Do you just put them on top of cooked beans and veggies?
By Julia on Jul 16, 2011
Hey Julia,
Loving staying connected here on FB. Rock & Roll!
On sprouts, it depends on which ones you grow. I use alfalfa in lieu of lettuce on sandwiches–esp good with avocado on whole wheat toasted bread. For wheat sprouts I knead them into Tangled Up Focaccia (in your copy of Hippie Kitchen). They also work on muesli–just a few–nice with the oats and fruit. (Muesli idea is in Cooking Beyond Measure–but also most likely all over the web–and probably here on measurefree come to think of it.)
Does that cover it? I haven’t watched the vid in a long time, so can’t remember exactly. Lentil sprouts I would definitely pair with legumes and vegs–and really you could also use alfalfa that way as well–although not directly into the heat but instead on the side–because they are so delicate they go limp right away in soupy things–then again if your brew isn’t too soupy they can stand a little warmth and still be fetching.
By Jean Johnson on Jul 20, 2011
i will try it. I am especially excited about them for breakfast. I am going to put some in my blender, too. And yeah, instead of lettuce. OK.. clear off the window sil.
By Julia on Jul 23, 2011
Sprouts are esp our friends in winter when there’s not so much fresh around. That said, no time like the present (pun intended) to get a sprout mojo going. That way when the mood strikes again come the dark days, all will be full steam ahead.
By Jean Johnson on Jul 25, 2011