Whole grains make a smart addition to today’s menus—they’re nutritious, always in season, delivery-friendly and adaptable to many global preparations. Get more grains into breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes with these five recipes.
On the menu at Ofa Restaurant in Miami Beach, this dish is called salada de graos, which translates to “sprouted grains salad.” The kitchen combines lentils, chickpeas and barley with tomato confit, cashews and three types of onions. A housemade cashew mayonnaise and garlicky pesto ramp up the flavor and texture of the salad.
Chef Sam Gasboro develops recipes for HealthySchoolRecipes.com, a resource for K-12 foodservice operators. This kid-friendly oatmeal not only meets school nutrition guidelines, but it is also prepared and portioned ahead and kept refrigerated until the next day.
Photograph courtesy of United Sorghum Checkoff Program
Stir-Fried Tofu Sorghum Bowl
Gluten-free sorghum is emerging on menus in everything from risotto-style sides to Asian stir-fries and taco fillings. The high-fiber, high-protein grain has a neutral flavor, making it a good base for a spicy Thai dish like this bowl. Chef Sharon Palmer keeps it vegan with the addition of tofu, but chicken, pork, beef or seafood can easily be swapped in.
Harissa Spiced Grilled Eggplant & Quinoa Salad with Grilled Mango
Contributions from several cuisines come together in this salad. Eggplant, feta and mint are three ingredients specific to the Mediterranean, as is harissa—the spicy sauce with Tunisian roots. But the mango sambal combines a tropical fruit with Asian rice wine vinegar and fish sauce, a combo that infuses the dish with inspiration from other countries.
Photo courtesy of California Table Grape Commission
Farro Waldorf Salad with Grapes
Menuing a less-familiar grain in a familiar salad is a smart way to win over guests at the salad bar. At Yale University, the kitchen uses farro as the base for this salad, combining the cooked grain with seasonal apples, grapes and autumn spices. A lemon vinaigrette ties the ingredients together.
University of Florida’s solution for feeding students in the midst of construction of a new dining hall has turned out so well, it will almost be a shame to see it go.
The endlessly colorful cuisine of Mexico is always in season, but Cinco de Mayo is a great time to bring some new recipes to the party, starting with El Rio Picante, an alternative marg, and finishing with DIY churro sundaes.