What does the staff of the Whole Grains Council bring to their holiday parties?  Why whole grains of course!  Gatherings of friends and family members make the ideal audience for introducing dishes featuring whole grains. 

Over the Christmas holiday, Chrisanne and I each brought a whole grain dish to share with our families and happily recount our stories to you.

Chrisanne’s Freekeh
A few months ago, we blogged about freekeh (pronounced “free-kuh”), an ancient grain that is suddenly attracting plenty of attention. I had never eaten freekeh before, but I was intrigued by Karen’s post, and I’m always game to try a new grain. So when Christmas Eve rolled around, I decided to make one of the recipes on our website, Freekeh with Roasted Butternut Squash and Dried Cranberries.
 

Knowing none of my relatives would have any idea of what freekeh was, I was a little worried that no one would give it a chance. But luckily, just about everyone tried the dish, and they all liked it! The chewy, nutty taste of the freekeh nicely complemented the soft, flavorful squash and cranberries. One of my aunts got particularly inventive and added just a little homemade New Hampshire maple syrup for a festive twist. The meal is easy to make and even easier to experiment with. 

Freekeh has many health benefits, as it is high in both protein and fiber, and low in available carbohydrates and glycemic index. People tend to associate the holidays with unhealthy treats, but this dish proved that the whole family can enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal. (Just be prepared to repeat the name and spelling of “freekeh” over and over!)

If you’re looking to purchase freekeh, it is available now on Amazon.com and in specialty and natural food stores, such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Of course, as freekeh becomes more popular, it will surely be available in even more locations.  (Chrisanne)

Karen’s Quinoa
My parents invited us all over for Christmas dinner.  With Mom making dinner, I offered to bring an appetizer to whet our appetites and went in search of just the right recipe that would impress my family members and get them excited about whole grains. 
 

Combing the shelves of cookbooks and stacks of recipe cards, I just couldn’t find the right dish. Then I clicked onto a blog I subscribe to and there it was:  a mouth-watering image of these beautiful golden-brown patties made with quinoa.  This was perfect!

I put the Herbed Quinoa Cakes together that morning and brought them ready to bake.  Into the oven they went and it wasn’t long before the savory aroma permeated the whole house, making everyone hungry.  Golden and crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, flecked with dark green kale and tangy feta, these whole grain bites were a huge hit with the family.

For a few of my relatives, this was their first introduction to quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) and they were very impressed.  I was of course happy to share some of the health benefits while I had their attention, like how quinoa is a complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids our bodies can’t make on their own.  (Don’t worry – I wasn’t obnoxious about it. I know they were really more interested in the delicious taste!) Overall, it was a successful sharing of whole grains.

The next time you are asked to bring a dish, we encourage you to make it a whole grain one, and then sit back and take in the compliments.  (Karen)