The Better Bean Company
The Better Bean Company of Portland, Oregon (why are there so many cool food companies based out of Portland?) considers beans an essential part of fine and healthy cuisines but also realizes that most people don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen cooking beans and adding just the right amount of spices to take the beans from bland to delicious. So, they do it for you by making freshly prepared beans that rival the quality and flavor of the best home cooked or restaurant made beans. Read more 
The Pea Shoot
Sprouts – miniature seedlings that grow from a seed – leave me feeling ambivalent as in…I should like them more than I do. In most grocery stores and markets, plastic containers showcasing bright green, yellow, and red sprouts – alfalfa, broccoli, clover, bean, radish – are displayed next to salad greens and fresh bunches of cilantro, parsley, and other herbs. Just seeing fresh seedlings makes me want to buy them. Nutritious and raw, sprouts make sandwiches and salads look appetizing and are supposed to add flavor but more often than not, I’ve always felt like there is something missing in the flavor department, until I tasted pea shoots which was love at first bite.
Teff: A Nutritional Powerhouse
Teff is the smallest grain in the world – the size of a poppy seed – but a nutritional powerhouse with 1/4 cup of dry teff providing 7 grams of protein, 4 grams of dietary fiber along with iron and calcium. With a mild nutty flavor, teff can be used to make a hot cereal, added to homemade vegie or bean burgers for a nutritional boost, formed into a polenta-like patty, or used in baked goods. A gluten-free grain, teff flour can also be used to make pancakes,waffles, and baked goods making teff especially popular for those who seek alternative grains to wheat. Read more
Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes
Just when I think there couldn’t possibly be another new innovative snack on the market, along comes a simple and delicious treat that combines two mainstream products (rice and dark chocolate) to form a unique incredibly scrumptious confection: the Dark Chocolate Rice Cake. There really isn’t anything else like it on the market. Read more
How To Make A Super Cereal
There are several super nutritious cereals on the market that consist of grains and seeds, which can be done at a fraction of the cost if the ingredients are purchased separately and assembled at home. For example, several companies combine three ingredients: organic chia seeds, organic hulled hemp seeds/hearts, and organic whole grain buckwheat and sell a cereal in 8 ounce pouches for $10-$12. If these three ingredients are purchased separately and combined in a jar or plastic container at home, the cereal would cost approximately $5. Read more
Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl
Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl is a staple in our home and a dish I make at least once a week. Inspired by The Happy Herbivore‘s recipe for Hawaiian Chickpea Teriyaki, this dish came about one night when everyone in the house had something to say about what ingredients they wanted in a rice bowl. Trying to please the whole group, I made a big bowl of brown rice and then put all the ingredients on the counter top buffet style so each person could make the bowl they wanted. What happened was surprising – everyone wanted all the toppings so we decided to call the dish Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl. It’s a winner. Read more
Spelt: The Golden Grain
I’m partial to spelt…
One of my favorite grains is spelt, a member of the wheat family that has a chewy texture and a nutty flavor. In its whole grain form, spelt is referred to as a berry although it looks like a long golden seed or grain.. Similar to rice in texture – but more flavorful – spelt can be used instead of rice in recipes for pilaf, salads, and puddings. Spelt berries can also be boiled and added to cooked steel-cut oats to make a delicious breakfast bowl. Add some cinnamon, chopped bananas and strawberries for a morning feast. Read more
Nature’s Path Qi’a Superfood Breakfast Cereal
Nature’s Path Organic Qi’a Superfood Breakfast Cereal is more aptly known as Qi’a (pronounced Kee-ah), a trio of seeds and grains – chia, hemp, and buckwheat – full of plant-based protein, fiber, and Omega 3’s. Certified gluten-free with no added sugar or salt, Qi’a is also certified organic, non-GMO project verified, and vegan. Loaded with protein – 6 grams per 2 tablespoon serving – Qi’a also provides 4 grams of dietary fiber per serving with no added sodium. Read more
Millet: The Pearl of Ancient Grains
Millet – and specifically pearl millet – is a widely grown grass that gives off small grain seeds which are hulled and used as a cereal food. Creamy or yellow in color, round, and small, the tiny circular grains of millet hail from Asia where it has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years.
Able to grow quickly in dry, high temperatures, millet has until recently been used as an ingredient in bird seed in developed countries (but it’s really not for the birds as USAID recently – July, 2013 – awarded Kansas State University nearly $14 million dollars to research millet and sorghum). Millet is gluten-free and a complete protein, with 1/4 cup of dry millet providing 7 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, magnesium, calcium, B6, iron, folate, and zinc. Read more
It’s Time to Freekeh
Every time I cook up a packet of Organic Freekeh – all natural roasted green wheat – I think of the 1978 hit song by Chic – Le Freak because that’s exactly what I do – freak out . Yes, I really do sing that song changing “freak out” to “freekeh” in my head – Ahh, Freekeh, Freekeh, c’est chic!...(out loud if no one is home) and then freak out over the flavor (nutty and smokey) and texture (firm and chewy) of a big bowl of Freekeh, especially when mixed with steamed broccoli florets and stems or fresh sautéed asparagus. Read more
Paddock Post 