I bought this bag of Wheat berries a few months ago and they’ve been in my freezer ever since! So last night I decided I would cook some up to have on hand, and part of that went into my totally deluxe breakfast this morning!
What are Wheat berries? The term wheat berry is used to describe a whole and unprocessed kernel of wheat. It has only been stripped of the inedible outer layer, but what’s left is the three parts of the grain which is the germ (or seed), the bran and the endosperm.
Hard wheat can be ground for breads and soft wheat can be ground for making pastries. You can also cook the wheat berry and use as a cereal replacement or in soups or in salads.
I looked up several different methods for cooking these. Since you drain the cooking liquid when it’s done, I just cooked it like pasta. I filled a big pot of water and added 1 cup of uncooked wheat berries. You bring both to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for ONE HOUR. It does take a long time to cook, but doing it ahead of time you will always have them on hand.
Wheat berries are high in protein, fiber and a great source of Vitamins A, E, B1, B2, magnesium, zinc and iron.
What I made for my breakfast this morning was this:
1/2 cup cooked wheatberries
1 oz. cheddar cheese
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, chopped
1 egg + 2 egg whites, cooked and chopped
Just mix altogether and I heated it up once I got to work. At first I thought it didn’t look like enough food, but it kept me full all morning without an AM snack, so that’s good!
Have you tried wheat berries, what do you make with them??
I’ve never tried them, but I’ve wanted to! 🙂
I haven’t tried wheat berries yet either, but they are definitely on my list of foods to try. It’s great that a small amount will keep you full!
What a fantastic use for wheatberries. I would never thought to use them for a saviry breakfast. Totally going to try this one day 🙂
I’ve never even heard of wheatberries – now I want to try them!
I’ve definitely never made wheatberries, but I do think I’ve had them – they look good! 🙂
I’ve never tried them…I’ve never even heard of them! 😀
I’ve made them but it’s been a LONG time ago and I think I just sweetened them a little and ate them kind of like oatmeal. I like your savory version! It’s like a breakfast fried rice–very creative! Also reminds me of Biz’s savory oatmeal but this doesn’t make me gag like that oatmeal does–lol. 🙂 I’m going to have to pick some up–they are a nutritional powerhouse!
I have never had wheatberries. I like your savory breakfast idea with them! Thanks for sharing with Friday Firsts!
I love wheat berries! I have a few recipes on my blog but my favourite is a salad with almonds, cranberries and a citrus dressing. Yum!
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/wheat-berry-salad-with-almonds-and-spinach-in-a-citrus-dressing/
We just recently experimented with wheat berries. Definitely a great meal!