Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook (5 page)

Now that you’ve become acquainted with the fabulous variety of gluten-free grains, it’s time to diversify further by learning to cook them in a variety of ways. For starters, be aware that many grains can be used interchangeably in recipes, especially if they cook with the same water-to-grain ratio and have similar textures and cooking times. For example, millet, corn grits, and teff can be substituted for each other, as can many varieties of rice.

When cooking any type of grain, you can influence flavor and texture by using different cookware or different cooking methods. And of course cooking liquid makes a huge difference, and here too you have a wide range of choices. You can cook grains in water, vegetable stock (which adds minerals), juice, or coconut milk (which adds sweetness), or various dairy and nondairy milks (which add protein). Substituting wine, beer, or mirin for some of the water or stock is a tasty option.

To really crank up the creativity and add unique flavor and textural qualities, you can also cook grains with nuts, seeds, sea vegetables, herbs, spices, or a combination of any or all of those. And nothing will enliven your grain cookery more than adding fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits. Adapting to your local harvest will keep your grain dishes fresh and exciting all year long. Just be aware that swapping fruits and vegetables with the seasons may affect cooking times. For example, summer squash cooks quicker than winter squash. So a sauté of quinoa with mushrooms and summer squash will be ready in just about 20 minutes, whereas baked quinoa with root vegetables and winter squash will take about an hour. That actually works out perfectly. In the colder months, baking will add heat to your home, but in the summertime you’ll probably want to focus on dishes that cook more quickly, to keep the house cool.

In this chapter, I’ll outline basic cooking methods for all of the gluten-free grains. Then, in the rest of the book, the recipes will explore a variety of ways to mix and match all of the variables discussed above. After you try a variety of recipes, all of these techniques and ideas will become second nature. I bet that in no time at all, you’ll be coming up with your own unique creations.

It’s a good idea to rinse millet, whole oats, and all varieties of brown rice prior to cooking. The easiest way is to put the amount you’ll be using in a large bowl or the pot you plan to cook in. Add water to cover by 3 to 4 inches and swirl the grains with a chopstick or wooden spoon. Pour off any floating debris, grain hulls, twigs, and so forth, and repeat until the water is clear.

Quinoa is a special case: When harvested, it has a naturally occurring bitter coating, which is just nature’s way of keeping the birds away. Although most varieties you’ll find in the store generally have this coating removed, to be on the safe side it’s best to rinse quinoa before cooking with it. And because it’s so tiny, a fine-mesh sieve is the best tool for the job.

Many grains need no rinsing: amaranth, buckwheat groats, corn grits, rolled oats, teff, wild rice, and a wide variety of aromatic rices, including basmati, Bhutanese red, black forbidden, Jade Pearl, jasmine, and Madagascar pink.

The boil-and-simmer method is by far the most common method for cooking grains. I hope you’ll branch out and try different techniques, but it does make a good starting point because it’s so easy. Just combine the grain and water in an appropriate-size saucepan, along with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer until all of the water is absorbed. That’s it!

This basic method can be used for all grains, but the ratio of grain to liquid varies, as does the simmering time. Consult the following tables for those details for each grain. In all cases, if you’d like the grain to turn out softer, just add a bit more water. Depending on how much you add, you may need to increase the cooking time slightly.

2-to-1 Ratio of Liquid to Grains

3-to-1 Ratio of Liquid to Grains

As you’ll see in the recipes at the beginning of chapters 5 and 6, you can also cook several grains together. The simplest way is to choose grains that have a similar liquid-to-grain ratio (more details below) and a similar cooking time; for example, combining quinoa with Bhutanese red rice.

But don’t let liquid-to-grain ratio limit you. A bit of simple math is all you need to concoct your own combinations. Let’s look at an example from
chapter 6
,
Bronze Delight
. Kasha’s ratio is 1 to 2, so 1 cup of kasha needs 2 cups of water; teff’s ratio is 1 to 3, so 2 cup of teff needs 1½ cups of water. So to cook them together, you’ll use 32 cups water (2 cups plus 1½ cups).

And there’s nothing to say that you can’t combine grains with different cooking times, as in
Sunny Mountain Rice
. Just be sure to cook for the amount of time required for the longer-cooking variety. The texture of the shorter-cooking variety may be different than if you had cooked it by itself, but that’s part of the fun of creating variations!

Whole Grains in a Hurry

If you’re like most folks these days, sometimes your intention to eat well is good, but you find yourself short on time for cooking from scratch. I encourage you to make time to cook in a leisurely, relaxed way. The food really will taste better! But I also want to help you cook more healthful foods in whatever time you have available. So here’s a list of whole grains arranged by cooking time, for easy reference. This can come in handy for other reasons, too. Maybe it’s summertime and you don’t want to heat up the kitchen by cooking something that takes a long time. And while I wouldn’t want you to make all of your food choices based on cooking time, it is a green consideration.

Cookware

Now that you’re clear on the basic method, you may wonder what type of cookware is best for cooking whole grains. Here’s the short answer: cast-iron, stainless steel, ceramic, or glass cookware. Let’s take a look at why these are best.

Stainless steel cookware
is light and versatile. The most important consideration with stainless steel is to use heavy-gauge pots, or at least pots with a heavy bottom. Because they conduct heat more slowly, you’re less likely to burn foods when using them. Although they’re more expensive, they’ll last a lifetime.

Cast-iron
griddles, pots, and pans cook slowly and evenly. They also release small amounts of iron into the food, making it more nutritional. I use my cast-iron skillet daily; it is my favorite pan. You can use a cast-iron skillet to cook grains, as long as you have a tight-fitting lid. Cast-iron saucepans are also available; some have an enamel coating. These can be quite expensive, but again, they’ll last a lifetime. And the enamel has the benefit of providing more of a nonstick surface without toxic chemicals.

Ceramic cookware
is very attractive for cooking and serving. It conducts heat slowly, evenly and keeps foods warm for hours. However, some ceramic cookware produced in foreign countries may contain lead and other toxic chemicals. To be sure ceramic cookware is safe, make sure it’s made in the United States or Canada.

Glass cookware
is excellent. It retains heat for a long time, and also offers the advantage of allowing you to watch foods cook and bake inside.

A few types of cookware are especially problematic and should be avoided at all costs, especially metal cookware with Teflon and other older nonstick surfaces. When heated, they can release carcinogenic compounds, and because the surface is easily scratched, small bits of the coating can contaminate foods. Because of public concern about this issue, manufacturers are coming up with a bunch of new nonstick surfaces, made of everything from sand to yet more chemicals. None of these new nonstick surfaces have a long track record yet, so I recommend avoiding them for now. (I’ll admit that I do make an exception for my waffle iron, as these generally aren’t available without a nonstick surface. If you’re determined to make waffles and avoid nonstick surfaces, check camping stores for small cast-iron waffle makers.)

Also avoid cookware made from aluminum. On a practical level, aluminum pots and pans are often quite thin, which can cause food to cook unevenly and burn. While you can buy heavy-gauge aluminum cookware, I don’t recommend it. Some folks think eating foods cooked in aluminum cookware causes indigestion, constipation, heartburn, gas, and headaches. And although the jury’s still out, aluminum exposure may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. And although copper has certain virtues in cookware because it cooks so evenly, copper can be toxic. Stainless steel pots with copper bases are okay, but don’t use any pot where copper can come in contact with the food. Sometimes copper pots have a coating to prevent copper from leaching into the food, but the coating can be damaged or abraded, so it’s best to avoid these, as well.

Modifications to Change Texture or Enhance Flavor

A few simple modifications to the boil-and-simmer method can make a big difference in texture, flavor, and digestibility.

Toasting grains.
For a fluffy texture, individual grains, and a nutty flavor
, toast grains, either alone or with spices, seeds, nuts, or sea salt, before adding the cooking liquid. First, bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Separately, place the grains in an appropriate-size dry saucepan or skillet with a tight-fitting lid (whatever you’ll ultimately cook the dish in), along with spices, seeds, nuts, or salt, as you wish. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the grains crackle, pop, or smell fragrant. Lower the heat and pour in the hot cooking liquid. Then cover and simmer for however long the grain usually cooks.

Sautéing grains.
For a moist, tender flavor, individual grains, and a rich flavor
, sauté uncooked grains, either alone or with vegetables, herbs, or spices, before adding the cooking liquid. First, bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Separately, heat some butter,
ghee
, sesame oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or extra-virgin coconut oil over medium heat in an appropriate-size saucepan or skillet with a tight-fitting lid (whatever you’ll ultimately cook the dish in). Add the grain, along with vegetables