Wheat Berries of Joy!

I've got a deep and abiding love for wheat berries.  It's strange actually since I have a just as deep and abiding loathing for wheat bread and wheat crackers.  However, I love wheat pasta way more than regular white pasta.  As usual I digress, but there's a glimpse into one of my interesting and adorable quirks.  What was I talking about?  Ah yes, wheat berries.

Wheat berries are whole, unprocessed wheat kernels that contain all three parts of the grain:  the germ, bran, and endosperm. Only the hull has been removed. Because of this, wheat berries retain all of the grain's vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Wheat berries, like all whole grains, have tons of health benefits. Whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.  Eating whole grains instead of refined/processed grains can help with weight control, as well.  The best part though, is that wheat berries are yummy.


I hadn't had wheat berries for years, because ... well, because this is Illinois, and they don't have a lot of food here.  Kidding!  Sort of.  I did live here for over four years before I was able to find kale in an actual grocery store.  Anyway, I stumbled upon wheat berries in Whole Foods the other day, and I had to have some.  They are delightfully chewy in texture and have the most awesome nutty flavor.  I like to cook up a batch and use it to top salads, throw into yogurt, put on my oatmeal, eat as a side dish instead of rice, put in soups, on and on.

The first thing I did with these wheat berries, however, was make a breakfast porridge.  In the crock pot!  I didn't take pictures at every step along the way because this isn't really a recipe; it's more of a guideline. Also, I didn't really think it would work.  Wheat berries involve at least a hour, and usually more, depending on how you like your final texture to be.  They involve a lot of stove time.  I've got a seven month old teething, active baby.  I do not have time to babysit something on a burner for an hour or more.  So I decided to give the crock pot a shot, and I'm SO glad I did!  I made two different versions.

So this is what you'll need for version one:

Wheat Berry Breakfast Porridge

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat berries, rinsed
• handful steel cut oats (by this I literally mean a handful.  I stuck my hand into the tin, grabbed what would fit in one fist, and threw it into the crock pot
• 2 3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 3/4 cup dried fruit of choice (I used cranberries and cherries)
• spices of choice (I used a shake each of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground cloves)

Directions:

1. Spray inside of crock pot with non-stick cooking spray
2. Add all ingredients
3. Cook on low over night - ideally at least eight hours, possibly more depending on how broken down you like your wheat berries.  I prefer mine somewhat chewy!

I topped mine with a scant sprinkle of raw cane sugar and a drizzle of coconut milk (from the carton, not the full fat from the can kind).

And for version two:

Tropical Wheat Berry Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat berries, rinsed
• 1 can coconut milk
• enough water to make 3 1/4 cups when combined with coconut milk
• liberal shake cinnamon
• liberal shake ground ginger
• 1 very ripe banana

Directions:

1. Spray inside of crock pot with non-stick cooking spray
2. Mash banana into a chunky puree
3. Shake can of coconut milk vigorously, pour into a large glass measure, and add enough water to make three and a quarter cups of liquid
4. Add everything to the crock pot
5. Cook on low over night - ideally at least eight hours blahblah same as the other

This was SO good.  Next time I'm going to add some chunks of mango and/or pineapple to the crock pot. Dried tropical fruits would work, as well, but I love the way the banana melts and caramelizes a bit, making the wheat berries so creamy and sweet.

I topped this bowl with a sprinkle of raw cane sugar and way more than a drizzle of coconut milk (from the carton!).  It was sooooo good!

Enjoy!