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FESTIVE WHEAT BERRY SALAD
WITH ORANGES & DRIED CRANBERRIES
You are probably most familiar with wheat in the form of flour, but wheat berries, which are the whole unprocessed kernels of wheat, are a tasty and highly nutritious ingredient for cooking. They have a delightful nutty flavor and chewy texture. This festive salad is perfect for holiday celebrations and potlucks. It is also practical because it keeps well. Wheat berries can be found in well stocked supermarkets and in the bulk section of natural foods stores.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup hard wheat berries or spelt berries
½ cup finely diced red onion (1 small or ½ medium)
2 medium oranges
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced cored fennel bulb (1 medium bulb)
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or fennel fronds
1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (the correct name is actually arils)
Fennel fronds for garnish
1. Combine wheat berries and 4 cups water in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Cook, covered, at a brisk simmer until wheat berries are tender, 50 to 70 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. Meanwhile, soak onion in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes; drain.
3. Peel oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut oranges in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Slice orange sections crosswise to make pinwheels.
4. Place almonds in microwave-safe bowl and microwave at High 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, stirring twice, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Let cool.
5. Whisk orange juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually, whisk in olive oil.
6. Add the cooked wheat berries, orange sections and drained red onion to the orange juice dressing, along with fennel, dried cranberries and parsley. Toss to coat well. (Salad will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Shortly before serving, garnish with pomegranate seeds, toasted almonds and fennel fronds.
Makes 10 (1/2-cup) servings.
Per serving: 190 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 11 g sugars, 4 g protein.
PREPARATION
Tip: No doubt about it, wheat berries are time consuming to cook. But there are several ways shorten cooking time.
Soaking: Soak wheat berries overnight in water. Drain; simmer berries in fresh water as directed in recipe for 30 to 35 minutes.
Pressure cooker: Place wheat berries, 4 cups water and 1 Tbsp oil (this helps prevent foaming) in pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low or just enough to maintain the pressure. Cook 30 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. When pressure had been released, unlock pressure cooker lid and drain.
Tip: To remove seeds from a pomegranate without splattering yourself and your kitchen, and to facilitate separating seeds from the pith, work under water. Slice off crown of pomegranate and score it into quarters. Place pomegranate in large bowl of water. Break it apart and separate seeds from skin and pith. The seeds will drop to the bottom, while the pith will rise to the surface.
Recipe by Patsy Jamieson
