Every day this month we’re celebrating Whole Grains Month by featuring a different video about whole grains. You’ll meet professional chefs and amateur whole grain lovers who will inspire you with their passion for whole grains, and you’ll learn about the tastes and health benefits of lots of different grains.

Hey! Don’t forget about our cool Whole Grains Month contest, too!

Wednesday September 30
Chocolate Mocha Cake

We saved this one for last because it’s just so decadent, and we wanted to leave you with a key point: the best foods are simultaneously healthy and delicious. You can tickle your taste buds and get the good foods your body needs to thrive, without making compromises, and without eating nasty dry tasteless “diet food.” Bon appetit!

 

  

Click here to view the Chocolate Mocha Cake video. (6:34)

Cake Ingredients
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 TBS butter, melted and cooled
2 TBS canola oil
2 ounces chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), melted
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 ½ cups plain lowfat yogurt
2 tsp vanilla
¾ cup sugar
1 TBS espresso in hot water

Frosting ingredients
8 oz Neufchatel cheese
⅓ cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp espresso powder in hot water
1 tsp coffee liqueur
extra dark chocolate (1 square) for shaving

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.

We hope you enjoyed our series of Whole Grains Month videos.

Tuesday September 29
Quinoa Salad

Chef Oren makes quinoa salad that’s similar to tabbouleh. We’re including it here even though we just featured a tabbouleh recipe on Sept 23, because we want to make the point that you can generally substitute any whole grain for another. So if you have a favorite recipe for rice, for instance, try it with another grain for variety.

Click here to view the Quinoa Salad video. (1:48)

Ingredients
1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 cup parsley chopped
1 cup cucumbers, chopped
1 large tomato chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 TBS olive oil
freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste
juice of 1 large or 2 small lemons

Come back tomorrow for our final Whole Grains Month video: Chocolate Mocha Cake.

Monday September 28
Eat More Whole Grains

We’re almost at the end of Whole Grains Month, so it’s a good time to reflect once more on the reasons for eating more whole grains, and some easy ways to add them to your families meals and snacks. Today’s tips come from Liz Weiss and Janice Bissex, the Meal Makeover Moms.

Click here to view the Eat More Whole Grains video. (2:24)

Come back tomorrow for quinoa salad.

Sunday September 27
Steel Cut Oats

Chef Keith Snow makes steel cut oats today. While all kinds of oatmeal — instant, quick, regular, and steel-cut — are whole grains, steel cut oats have texture and nuttiness that appeals to many people who may not previously realized they love oatmeal. The downside? Cooking steel-cut oats can take 20 to 30 minutes. But you can short cut the process simply by soaking your grains overnight (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POf3nOmw1ho).

Click here to view the Steel Cut Oats video. (2:48)

Ingredients:
4 cups boiling water
1 cup steel cut oats
pinch of salt
1 TBS ground flaxseed (optional)
1 TBS Greek yogurt (optional)
dried fruit, such as cherries (optional)
a dash of maple syrup (optional)

Come back tomorrow for tips on getting kids to enjoy more whole grains.

Saturday September 26
Blueberry Coffeecake

Ellie Krieger’s making a special weekend treat today: Blueberry Coffee Cake. Enjoy a small piece with scrambled eggs or a vegetable omelet today, or for tomorrow’s Sunday breakfast.  If you use whole wheat pastry flour for all the flour, then beat one or both of the egg whites to keep the cake light.

Click here to view the Blueberry Coffeecake video. (4:19)

Ingredients
2 TBS butter
2 TBS canola oil
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 TBS white sugar
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup fresh blueberries

Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.

Come back tomorrow for Steel Cut Oats.

Friday September 25
Barley Risotto

Kate Sherwood from CSPI and Nutrition Action Newsletter shows how to make a creamy tomato-barley risotto that turns to vegetables for its full and satisfying flavor. The creaminess comes from the starches released by the barley. Kate doesn’t clearly specify how long this takes to cook, but hulled barley generally takes about an hour to cook, from start to finish.

Click here to see the Barley Risotto video. (4:26)

Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
1 cup hulled barley
1 can (15 oz) no-salt tomatoes
1 cup water
4 cups skim milk (divided)
¾ tsp salt (to taste)
fresh pepper (to taste)
½ cup vermouth
½ cup parmesan cheese

Come back tomorrow for Blueberry Coffeecake.

Thursday September 24
Buckwheat Crêpes

Today Chef Tse makes buckwheat crêpes. It’s traditional in Normandy and Brittany to use buckwheat for crêpes or “galettes” as the large, thin pancakes are often called in these areas. Believe her when she advises letting crêpe batter rest for a while before cooking — you’ll get better results, especially with whole grains. (The resting helps the gluten develop so everything holds together when you flip it, and when you roll or fold it around your filling.) You might also try using whole wheat pastry flour in place of the unbleached flour part once you get the hang of cooking the crêpes. Rather than warm the filling, you can fill all your crêpes then put them in a slow oven to melt the cheese just before serving.

Click here to see the Buckwheat Crêpes video. (4:47)

Ingredients
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
a little butter
filling of your choice

Come back tomorrow for Barley Risotto.

Wednesday September 23
Exotic Tabbouleh Salad

Whole Grains Council culinary advisor Ellie Krieger makes tabbouleh with bulgur. Bulgur is a form of wheat that’s been steamed, dried, and cracked into pieces. Because it’s been pre-cooked before you buy it, your time to cook it is minimal — with most bulgur, you can just pour boiling water over it, and let it sit (like couscous) while you chop your vegetables. (Coarse bulgur — with its bigger chunks — may require 10 minutes or so of active simmering.)

Click here to see the Tabbouleh video. (3:42)

Ingredients
1 cup bulgur
1 ½ cups boiling water
2 cups of chopped, seeded tomatoes
2 cups chopped, seeded cucumber
½ cup diced red onion
2 cups chopped parsley
⅓ cup chopped mint leaves
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice (juice of one large lemon)
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Come back tomorrow for buckwheat crêpes.

Tuesday September 22
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Someone brought it to our attention that we haven’t yet featured a video on whole grain cookies, so we came up with everyone’s all-time favorite: oatmeal cookies. You can go 100% whole grain by using whole wheat pastry flour instead of the all purpose flour too. But either way, the scads of oats in this recipe make a good contribution to your need for whole grains — to say nothing of your need for a cookie every now and then. 

Click here to view the Oatmeal Cookies video. (1:54)

Ingredients
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups rolled oats
¾ cup raisins
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Come back tomorrow for Tabbouleh Salad made with bulgur.

Monday September 21
Easy Whole Grain Flatbread

Mark Bittman’s back today, showing how you can make an easy flatbread with just four ingredients. He doesn’t give details on the curried cauliflower, but who cares? The point is you can put some interesting flavored veggies (doesn’t even have to be cauliflower) in the bread, to get an exotic south Asian flavor.

Click here to see the Flatbread video. (4:49)

Ingredients, plain flatbread
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups water (more if needed)
olive oil

Ingredients, cauliflower flatbread
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp salt
1 can coconut milk (about 1 ½ cups)
curried roasted cauliflower

Come back tomorrow for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Sunday September 20
Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Ellie Krieger’s recipe for blueberry pancakes uses buckwheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, for double whole grain goodness. Save some of the blueberries as a garnish. We sometimes like to cook the extra blueberries until they burst, and mix them with a small amount of maple syrup. Then, when you drench your pancakes in “syrup” you’re getting mostly blueberry juice, and just enough syrup to add that wonderful maple flavor.

Click here to view the Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes video. (4:24)

Ingredients
¾ cup buckwheat flour
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup skim milk
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp canola oil
1 TBS honey
2 cups blueberries (divided)

Come back tomorrow for Whole Grain Flatbread.

Saturday September 19
Homemade Granola

Pamela Dockery of TwoStews.com shows us how to make our own granola. Another great recipe to try with the kids this weekend. They’ll enjoy it for breakfast, or just by the handful as a healthy snack. We also enjoy homemade granola with a good farm yogurt and some fruit, in a parfait glass.

Click here to see the Homemade Granola video. (3:33)

Ingredients
8 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (or another nut)
½ cup honey
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup dried apricots, diced
1 cup figs, diced
1 cup dried cranberries

450°F oven for 25 minutes

Come back tomorrow for Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes.

Friday September 18
Carrot Pecan Wild Rice

Today’s video includes some interesting facts about wild rice and a head start on a great idea for Thanksgiving. The 4 TBS of melted butter seems pretty excessive — try 1 TBS, then taste and add a little more if necessary. If you’re intrigued about wild rice now, take a look at this longer video (9:49) for Southwestern Wild Rice from Jason’s Fit Kitchen.

Click here to view the Carrot Pecan Wild Rice video. (2:01)

Ingredients
1 ½ cups wild rice
4 ½ cups water
2 large carrots, sliced
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup pecans, chopped
½ orange, zest and juice
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley, chopped
4 TBS melted butter

Serves 6-8

Come back tomorrow for a homemade granola recipe you can make with your kids.

Thursday September 17
Pizza with Dad

Just a reminder that pizza is, at heart, a healthy food — a fact that gets lost at many commercial pizzerias when your “veggie pizza” has only three mushrooms on it, and about a pound of cheese. Here’s a father-daughter pair that’s making quick pizza snacks on little whole wheat pitas. (This family has a bit too much engineered enthusiasm for our taste, but we like the idea of making pizza with your kids.)

Want another take on pita pizza (one with ingredient amounts)? Download our “Dozen Easy Whole Grain Recipes” for families.

Click here to see the Pizza with Dad video. (3:45)

Ingredients
Small or large whole wheat pita breads
Tomato sauce
Cheese
Veggies
Meats

Cook 8-10 minutes in a 400°F oven.

Come back tomorrow for a Carrot Pecan Wild Rice side dish.

Wednesday September 16
Four Cheese Baked Penne

Ellie Krieger’s back again today, with a family-friendly variation on macaroni and cheese. We looked at hundreds of videos when picking our favorites for the Whole Grains Month Video-A-Day project, but Ellie ended up with more than any other person, because her recipes are consistently easy, delicious and healthy. Enjoy!

Click here to see the Four Cheese Baked Penne recipe. (2:48)

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp olive oil
4 tsp garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes (no-salt if possible)
1 can tomato sauce (no-salt if possible)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary (or 2 tsp Italian seasoning in place of both herbs)
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 ½ cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 ½ cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 ¼ cups part-skim mozzarella

Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.

Come back tomorrow for Cooking with Dad: Healthy Pizza.

Tuesday September 15
The Difference Between Whole Grain and Fiber

We’re taking a day off today from recipes, to clear up some confusion about the difference between whole grains and fiber. All whole grains are an important source of fiber in your diet, but some are higher in fiber than others. That’s okay, because whole grains aren’t just about fiber — they contain other important nutrients you can’t get easily from other foods. At the same time, you need to include other sources of fiber — fruits, vegetables and especially legumes (beans) — in your diet to make sure you’re getting all the fiber your body needs.

Click here to see the Fiber vs. Whole Grains video. (0:58)

Come back tomorrow for Four Cheese Baked Penne.

Monday September 14
Bethenny’s Brown Rice Breakfast

It’s Monday, and Bethenny Frankel reminds us that grains leftover from dinner can turn into breakfast on the go. The amounts are all suggestions. Just keep the general idea in mind: Grab some leftover grain, moisten it with milk, add nuts, raisins, a little sweetener (Bethenney’s TBS of maple syrup seems a bit much) and maybe some flavoring, and voilà! Beats the price of buying oatmeal at a takeout coffee place on the way to work.

Click here to view the Brown Rice Breakfast video. (2:54)

Ingredients
½ cup leftover cooked brown rice
1 TBS sliced almonds or other nuts
1 TBS dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, etc.)
¼ cup milk (soy, dairy, almond — your choice)
1 TBS maple syrup
dash of vanilla extra (optional)
sprinkle of cinnamon

Serves 1

Come back tomorrow to clear up the confusion on Whole Grains vs. Fiber.

Sunday September 13
Carrot Cupcakes

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t ever enjoy dessert — just look for choices that include whole grains (and other good things). Ellie Krieger’s carrot cupcakes make sure that your dessert offers more than empty calories, with a luscious carrot cake — and reasonable portion sizes due to the cupcake form. Another great project to do with the kids, on the weekend.

Click here to see the Carrot Cupcakes video. (5:26)

Ingredients for cupcakes
2 large carrots, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda (she says powder, but she’s using soda)
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ cup applesauce
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Ingredients for frosting
4 oz neufchatel cheese
¾ cup confectioners sugar
½ tsp lemon zest

Makes a dozen cupcakes.

Come back tomorrow for Brown Rice Breakfast.

Saturday September 12
Healthy Home-made Pancake Mix

We’re all trying to save money and eat fresher, more wholesome foods these days. It’s the weekend, when there’s time for a family breakfast, so Chef Keith Snow shows you how to create your own healthy pancake mix, with three different whole grains. One extra tip for whole grain pancakes: If you separate the egg and beat the egg white first, you’ll get fluffier pancakes.

 Click here to see the Healthy Pancake Mix video. (2:02)

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour (or skip this and add another cup of whole wheat)
1 cup whole grain cornmeal
1 cup rye flour
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

To make pancakes later:
1 cup mix
1 ¼ cup milk
1 egg

Come back tomorrow for Carrot Cupcakes.

Friday September 11
Shrimp with Whole Wheat Orzo

Chef Ellie Espoo makes marinated shrimp over a Greek whole wheat orzo salad. Don’t be daunted by all the ingredients — you can make it simpler if you want. For the salad, for instance, you could use one type of squash, one type of pepper, and one type of olives (though it wouldn’t be as colorful). If you don’t have sprigs of fresh herbs for the marinade, just sprinkle in some Italian seasoning (a real handy mixed-herb pantry staple.)

Click here to see the Shrimp with Whole Wheat Orzo video. (6:00)

Ingredients for the marinated shrimp
 1 Lb of large shrimp
2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves
2 sprigs of fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp of dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of sliced garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Orzo salad
¾ to  1lb of cooked  whole wheat orzo
1 green onion chopped
1 zucchini small dice
1 yellow squash small dice
1 yellow and 1 red pepper small dice
2 Tbls of fresh chopped dill
½ cup of green olives chopped
½ cup of calamata olives chopped
1 package of Feta cheese crumbled
Zest of one lemon

Ingredients for orzo salad dressing
Juice of 1 lemon (the same one you just used for the zest!)
Juice of 1 orange
Sea salt
¼ cup of white wine vinegar
Tsp of honey
Drizzle and wisk in a ½ cup of olive oil

Serves 2-4

Come back tomorrow for Healthy Pancake Mix.

Thursday September 10
Banana Bread from Breadtopia

This recipe comes from the wonderful King Arthur Flour’s Whole Grain Baking cookbook and the bread experts at Breadtopia — two great resources for whole grain bakers. Hunt around the Breadtopia website and check out their whole grain sourdough, too.  Want to cut the fat? Experiment with substituting 2 ounces of applesauce for half the butter.

Click here to see the Banana Bread video. (6:58)

Ingredients
4 oz of butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup sugar or honey
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ultra-ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Makes one loaf.

Come back tomorrow for Grilled Shrimp with Whole Wheat Orzo.

Wednesday September 9
Mark Bittmann makes Brown Rice Pilaf

Love brown rice, but don’t have enough time to cook it at dinnertime? Mark Bittman, the NY Times “Minimalist” shows you a shortcut. When you think he’s done, keep listening for some great background information on brown rice.  Bittman doesn’t get specific about amounts in this pilaf recipe, so we’ve added some typical amounts to give you a rough idea. But think about it: his anything-goes approach reminds us that (with the exception of baking) measuring really doesn’t matter that much in cooking.

Click here to see the Brown Rice Pilaf video. (4:54)

Ingredients
Olive oil (maybe 1-2 TBS)
Chopped onion (maybe 1 medium, diced)
Garlic and herbs to taste (be creative)
Parboiled brown rice (1 cup)
Broth, mixed with some wine if you like (2 cups total liquid)

Come back tomorrow for Banana Bread from Breadtopia.

Tuesday September 8
Heather’s Ode to Whole Grains

Today our guest video comes from Heather at HangryPants.com. Heather is not a cooking pofessional – just an everyday whole grains lover talking about how she buys and cooks whole grains. This video focuses on millet and hulled barley – and the incredible value and versatility of buying whole grains in bulk. Note: Heather doesn’t actually make the salads she refers to in this video, but we’ve given you the ingredients and links, below, for all the details.

Click here to see the video Heather’s Ode to Whole Grains. (4:00)

Ingredients for Barley Salad
1 ½ cups hulled barley, cooked for about an hour in 3 ½ cups water
1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
2 bartlett pears, peeled, cored and diced
½ tsp lemon juice
1 cup diced sweet red pepper
¼ cup sliced green onions
1 tsp salt
3 TBS cider vinegar
3 TBS apple cider or no-sugar-added cranberry juice
2 TBS sesame oil
1 TBS thawed orange juice concentrate
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions for this recipe are at http://www.hangrypants.com/2009/06/she-says-whole-grain-summer-salads/

Ingredients for Millet Eggplant Chickpea Salad
½ cup hulled millet
1 ¼ cup water
1 eggplant (1 ½ cups cubed)
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 small white onion
1 can chickpeas
2-3 TBS balsamic vinegar
½ tsp curry
½ tsp garlic powder
a little salt to taste

Instructions for this recipe are at http://www.hangrypants.com/2009/05/she-says-millet-eggplant-and-chickpea-salad-2/

Come back tomorrow for a Brown Rice Pilaf with Mark Bittman.

Monday September 7
Spicy Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Chef and cookbook author Mike Chiarello makes a nice pasta dish with rich, deep flavors. But please DO NOT use a mandoline without the safety guard, as Mike is doing here. It’s really, really dangerous (this is the sad voice of experience begging you).

Click here to see the Spicy Whole Wheat Spaghetti video. (5:48)

ingredients
4 medium-size zucchini
5 TBS minced garlic (wow!)
2 TBS olive oil
1-3 tsp chili flakes (according to taste)
a few anchovies (totally optional)
3 TBS parsley, chopped
5 TBS basil, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
½ cup pecorino
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

serves 6

Come back tomorrow for Heather’s Ode to Whole Grains, when a regular home cook explains why she’s passionate about whole grains.

Sunday September 6
Peach French Toast Bake

WGC culinary advisor Ellie Krieger makes an easy dish for Sunday brunch. We love that she doesn’t make a big deal about using whole grain bread – she just does it ‘cause it’s the normal thing to do.  Best if you put it together at least two hours before you bake it for 40 minutes at 350°F – making it up the night before, like Ellie does, is even better.

Click here to see the Peach French Toast Bake video. (3:44)

Ingredients
about 6 slices whole wheat bread
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups of frozen or fresh peaches (if fresh, toss with lemon juice)
2 TBS brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon

serves 4-6

Come back tomorrow for Spicy Whole Wheat Spaghetti.

Saturday September 5
Make Pear Muffins with your Kids

Saturday’s a good day to enjoy a baking project. Watch this “Whole Foods Kids Can Cook” video with your kids first, and they’ll be inspired to see Ana, Felix and Ingrid doing most of the projet themselves. (I especially like little Ana’s reindeer antlers.)

Click here to see the Pear Muffins with Kids video. (3:39)

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 TBS baking powder or one egg or 1 TBS arrowroot powder
2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
lemon peel
¼ cup oil
½ cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup
⅔ cup soy milk or dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
2 pears, diced small

Bake 25 minutes at 350°F. Makes a dozen muffins.

Come back tomorrow for Peach French Toast Bake with Ellie Krieger.

Friday September 4
Mushroom Barley Soup

Chef and author Rita Nader Heikenfeld makes a savory barley soup. But don’t believe her when she says quick barley is a whole grain. Use hulled barley instead, and allow 45-50 minutes cooking time after you add the barley, to get whole grain goodness. (Sure it’s a bit extra time, but it’s no extra work.)

Click here for the Mushroom Barley Soup video. (5:47)

ingredients
olive oil, to cover bottom of pan
4-5 strips (not cups!) of bacon, chopped
2 cups chopped onion
1 TBS crushed garlic (about 3 small or 2 large cloves)
1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1 TBS tomato paste
4 cans (15 oz or so each) beef or chicken broth
1 cup hulled (not pearled or quick) barley
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano or Italian seasoning

Come back tomorrow for Pear Muffins (and bring your kids – tomorrow the kids are cooking!). 

Thursday September 3
Shrimp Jambalaya with Brown Rice

Chef John of Foodwishes.com says he uses brown rice in this dish specifically because it adds a “great nutty flavor and texture” – not for nutritional reasons. Wherever the inspiration comes from, the end result sounds delicious.

Click here for the Creole Sausage Shrimp Jambalaya with Brown Rice video. (3:40)

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 TBS butter
8 oz Andouille sausage, or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced ¼” thick
2 TBS paprika
1 TBS ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
½ cup diced tomato, fresh or canned
1 large green bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, sliced ¼” thick
4 green onions, sliced thin
1 cup brown rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Come back tomorrow for Mushroom Barley Soup.

Wednesday September 2
Whole Wheat Pasta Salad

Whole wheat pasta has come of age, with new brands that are tender and tasty. Even though it’s now September, hang on to summer with a lovely cool salad shown here  and created by Whole Grains Council culinary advisor Ellie Krieger.  We’ve written down the ingredients, to make it easier for you to shop and follow the video.

Click here for the Whole Wheat Pasta Salad video. (3:47)

Ingredients
½ cup of walnuts, toasted then chopped
2 TBS walnut oil
2 TBS red wine vinegar
½ tsp mustard
1 clove of garlic (about ½ tsp)
½ lb of whole wheat fusilli, cooked and cooled
½ cup minced red onion (about ½ an onion)
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 ½ cups chopped baby spinach (raw)
salt and pepper to taste

Come back tomorrow for Creole sausage and shrimp jamabalya with brown rice.

Tuesday September 1
Welcome to Whole Grains Month

To kick off the series, we’re starting with an introduction to Whole Grains Month. What a  pleasant surprise to see that someone had posted a video on YouTube urging everyone to celebrate September as Whole Grains Month. Wow.

Click here for the Whole Grains Month video.

Come back tomorrow for Ellie Krieger’s whole wheat pasta salad.