How to Use Grains in the Vegetarian Diet
Cooking with Couscous, Quinoa, Polenta, and Other Protein-Rich Foods
Nov 20, 2008
Foodblogs, vegetarian magazines, and cookbooks have recently latched on to the potential of grains like quinoa and polenta in healthy vegetarian cooking. Though beans and rice remain the perfect protein complement, these grains are versatile and can be eaten as a breakfast food or served cold in the summer with the same health benefits. They are also very filling, and when fried into cakes or baked into bars can make a great energy boost for athletes.
Quinoa, Couscous, and Bulgur
Couscous has been a familiar grain in the Western world for many years, particularly with those who enjoy middle-eastern cuisine. It can be cooked with any number of vegetables for flavor – mushrooms, red peppers, garlic, and herbs are all popular add-ins. Couscous is boiled and often served with olive oil and other seasonings.
Quinoa is a similar grain, native to South America, that can be boiled and then served in any number of ways. Quinoa cakes are easy to make by combining cooked quinoa with egg and seasonings and then forming into patties to fry. Quinoa can also be served as a breakfast food by cooking with milk and dried fruit, much like a porridge. Couscous can similarly be served with milk, fruit, and spices.
Both of these grains can also be cooled after cooking and served as a filling salad. Bulgur is a third grain common in middle-eastern cooking that is often used as a salad. Bulgur can also be used to make pilaf in place of rice, or wrapped in grape leaves to make dolmas. Its crunchy texture is quite distinctive.
Polenta and Grits
Polenta and grits are both a form of ground corn. Grits are easy to find in the South, but may be more difficult to locate elsewhere. Though grits are available in an "instant" form, the better variety is stone-ground grits, which take twenty to forty minutes to cook. They are boiled, like quinoa, until they absorb the water in the pan.
Polenta is a brilliant yellow grain, like grits, that can be found in specialty food aisles in most areas. Both can be served simply with butter, salt, and pepper, and are particularly good with cheese. Another tasty idea is to serve polenta or grits with mushrooms and/or onions. They can be fried in cakes as well. The following recipe is simple and great for breakfast on a cold day.
Easy, Cheesy Grits or Polenta
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup grits
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 T butter or margarine
- 1 cup shredded or cubed cheese
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan.
- Whisk in the grits, keeping the whisk constantly moving, and reduce heat to low.
- Cook about half an hour or until the water is absorbed and the grits no longer have any crunch, stirring often.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter until fully melted, then add the cheese. Use a simple combination of mozzarella and parmesan or try something fun like smoked provolone, fontina, havarti, gouda, or even brie.
- Season with the peppers and add salt to taste.
