Whole-Grain Winter Comfort Food
Grains can be chewy, creamy, nutty, and savory — oh, and did we mention healthy? Cooking with a variety of whole grains will keep kitchen boredom at bay. We use them in soups, risotto, and veggie burgers, and we especially like grain salads; they’re a wonderful way to span the gap from one season to the next; and given their heartiness, they’re particularly good during the cold months.
Related: 35 Pantry Staples for Healthy Eating
Farro and Porcini Risotto
Farro, an ancient grain with a rich, nutty flavor, stands in for rice in this risotto.
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups farro
3/4 cup (1/2 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 ounce) for garnish
1. To make pesto, pulse walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add basil, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper, and process. With machine running, pour in oil, and puree.
2. To make risotto, bring farro, mushrooms, wine, and 2 cups stock to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Continue to cook, stirring and adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. It should take 20 to 25 minutes. Stir 1/3 cup pesto into risotto. Top with Parmesan and remaining pesto.
Roasted Sweet-Potato and Farro Salad
Savory, sweet, and nutty all at once, this is a salad that can be enjoyed warm or chilled — and is both hearty and seasonally suitable to make during the winter.
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup semi-pearled farro (about 7 ounces)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup radish or arugula sprouts or baby watercress, plus more for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide sweet potatoes and garlic between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread into a single layer. Roast, flipping once, until tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cover farro with 4 inches water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain; toss with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Season with salt.
3. When cool enough to handle, remove garlic from peels and mash with lemon zest and juice in a small bowl. Add garlic mixture, sweet potatoes, dill, and sprouts to farro; stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with sprouts.
Related: 42 Slow-Cooker Recipes Worth the Wait
Fennel and Quinoa Salad with Parsley and Dill
Yes, we know quinoa is a seed not a grain, but it often gets lumped with whole grains — because it is quick to cook, had lovely fluffy grains, and is wondefully healthy: it’s protein-rich and boasts a slew of nutrients. This cool salad of crisp, thinly shaved fennel, pungent parsley and dill, nutty quinoa, and a squeeze of fresh lemon is a refreshing dish year round.
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise as thinly as possible. Place in ice-water bath.
2. Toast quinoa in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add water, raise heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate, uncovered, until cool, about 1 hour.
3. Drain fennel, and pat dry. Add parsley, dill, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper, and toss. Divide quinoa among bowls. Top with fennel mixture.
Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash
This dish is not a pie in the usual pastry sense of the word, but this molded quinoa dish with roasted butternut squash is cooked in a pie plate, and is as hearty and irresistible in its own way as any dish with one crust or two.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, havled crosswise, and seeded
18 fresh sage leaves, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1/2 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup quinoa
2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with 1 teaspoon oil. Cut five 1/4-inch-thick rings of squash; cut remainder into 1/4-inch dice. Place squash on sheets. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 12 sage leaves. Bake until tender and just golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Keep oven on.
2. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. quinoa and stock; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 2 minutes.
3. Stir together quinoa, diced squash, chopped sage, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
4. Coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Arrange 6 sage leaves face down in plate; top with squash rings. Press quinoa mixture on top.
5. Bake 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve wedges warm or at room temperature.
Watercress and Barley Salad
Maybe you’ve used pearl barley in soup before: Now it’s time to try it in salad, where its rich, nutlike flavor and wonderfully chewy texture come to the fore.
1 cup pearled barley, rinsed and drained
Coarse salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Ground pepper
2 medium carrots, cut into small diced pieces
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into medium-size diced pieces
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
1 large bunch watercress, stems trimmed, torn into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil over high heat. Add barley and 1/2 teaspoon salt; reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until barley is tender but still chewy, about 35 minutes. Drain; rinse barley under cold running water until cool. Drain well, and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, honey, and oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Add carrots, cucumber, red onion, dill, and dressing to large bowl with barley. Toss to combine.
3. At serving time, add watercress and sunflower seeds; toss to combine. Place salad on platter to serve family-style, or mound on individual plates. Serve at room temperature.
Barley Risotto with Swiss Chard, Radishes, and Preserved Lemon
When you gradually add warm broth to barley, it turns tender and creamy — the same texture that Arborio rice gives risotto.
5 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained
8 to 10 small radishes, trimmed
1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed and leaves torn into large pieces (about 6 cups)
1 Preserved Lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
Coarse salt
1/4 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
8 large fresh mint leaves, torn
1. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add barley and stir to coat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is mostly absorbed, about 5 minutes.
2. Add radishes and remaining 3 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition be absorbed before adding more, and simmer, stirring frequently, until barley is tender and creamy, about 30 minutes. Add chard and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon and season with salt. Remove from heat and stir in herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tabbouleh with Red and Gold Tomatoes
Most famously, bulgur is the main ingredient in tabbouleh. It’s a form of wheat made from cracked, parboiled, and dried wheatberries. Its grains are small, and it’s quick and easy to prepare: Just soak it; no cooking required.
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups boiling water
2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 small red onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup peeled and diced English cucumber
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
1 pound (1 1/2 pints) assorted small tomatoes (cherry, grape, or teardrop), halved
3/4 teaspoon salt
1. Place bulgur and water in a medium bowl, and stir. Cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain, pressing lightly to remove excess water.
2. Return bulgur to bowl. Stir in parsley, mint, scallions, onion, cucumber, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil. Season with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Combine shallot, mustard, vinegar , and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Pour in remaining 2/3 cup oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange lettuce on a large platter, and pile tabbouleh on top. Toss tomatoes with 1/4 cup dressing, and arrange on top of tabbouleh. Drizzle another 1/4 cup dressing over tomatoes, and season with pepper. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
More from Martha Stewart:
Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family
20 Classic Comfort Food Recipes from Martha Stewart
36 Dinners You Can Make in Just 15 Minutes!
25 New Ways to Eat Avocados
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