Naturally gluten-free products can enrich the diet not only with additional valuable ingredients, but also expand the range of known and accepted flavours. Are you
familiar with the sweet breakfast millet? And quinoa was once an addition to your dinner? If not, I strongly encourage you to read this article and reach for new food
products, discovering them can be a fun adventure for the whole family.
Although in the last few decades, groats have been shifted to the background in favour of the potato, they are returning now to our tables. They become not only an
addition to dishes, but often constitute its basis. They have a lot of beneficial nutritional properties that are necessary for the proper
functioning of our body. More importantly, people with celiac disease have a large selection of gluten-free groats to chose from so they can diversify their meals.
In the article below, you will learn what types of gluten-free groats are available and what you can make from them.
A very underrated porridge that is incredibly tasty when cooked almost al dente, to a powdery consistency, and not overcooked almost beyond recognition.
If this should be the case in Cossack kulish (where the basic thickener is millet), then in other dishes it does not necessarily have to be the case. The crux of
the water-to-groats ratio is that the millet doesn't mix while cooking !!
What you can make from it :
It is characterized by a variety of culinary uses: it can be used to prepare both sweet and spicy dishes. The addition of dried fruits and fresh fruit makes it an excellent
dish for breakfast. It works well as an addition to soups, as an ingredient of vegetable cutlets or served with stew.
The millet is perfect for salads and side dishes with sauces. It can also be used as a thickener for puddings. The remnants of the cooked groats can be used in
casseroles or in the preparation of potato-like pancakes, etc. Millet can also be added to wok vegetables instead of rice.
However, if it is not properly prepared, it can spoil the whole dish. So for it to be a delight to the palate, it must be properly treated.
NOTE: Millet has a short shelf life. The groats deteriorate quite quickly and bitterness appears in it. Please pay attention to the expiry date!
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1:2 ( loose) or 1:3 (creamy)
Cooking Method :
1) Pour boiling water over the groats, and then rinse the grains thoroughly in cold water, dry.
2) Toast in a dry (if necessary in oil) frying pan or pot (for about 10-15 minutes);
3) Pour in water, add salt, cook, covered, for about 15 minutes. Don't mix!
4) Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes without removing the lid;
5) Split with a fork and serve.
Banosh, mamaliga, polenta, gomi and many other dishes are made of corn grits. Corn grits can be of different grits, lighter and darker, but the ratio of liquid to grits is
always the same. Mostly corn grits are cooked with a lot more water or some other liquid than I do. When the ratio of the liquid is more than a ratio of 1: 2, a lot of sticky
substance is released and the grains overcook too much. I like to feel the grain in the consistency of cooked groats myself.
What you can make from it :
Corn grits is an excellent thickener for casseroles and an amazing addition to dishes with thick sauce. Often, corn grits is also used in desserts.
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1: 2 (not gluey), 1: 3-1:4 (gluey and creamy)
Cooking method:
1) Bring the water to a boil;
2) Add the grits and salt. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened. The exact time depends on the amount of fluid selected;
3) Serve it straight away.
A very large number of rice varieties are available on the market, and each one differs in certain preparation details. I focused on the varieties of rice used as additives.
Namely, they are long-grained, unpolished and wild rice. Each of these varieties is cooked differently. It is worth paying attention.
Long grain rice
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1: 1½
Cooking method :
1) Wash;
2) Pour water, add salt and butter (optional); Bring to a boil;
3) Reduce heat to a minimum, cook covered for 8 minutes;
4) Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes, covered;
Unpolished rice
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1:2
Cooking method:
1) Wash and dry;
2) Brown it in a dry (optionally in oil) pan or pot (3-4 minutes);
3) Pour in water, add salt, cook, covered, for about 35-40 minutes.
4) Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes, covered;
5) Split with a fork and serve.
Wild rice
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1:4
Cooking method :
1) Wash;
2) Pour water, add salt, bring to a boil;
3) Reduce heat to a minimum, cook for 40-45 minutes, covered;
4) Drain, split with a fork and serve.
It is the only grain that I soak, although not for long. In fact, quinoa is not a grain variety, but seeds, which have a high content of saponins, which give this grain a
bitter taste and are not very healthy. They are washed out by soaking and thorough rinsing.
What you can make from it :
There are 3 types of quinoa in stores: white, red and black. Each of them has slightly different taste qualities. The possibilities of its use are really wide - the fine grains
absorb a lot of water (during cooking it almost quadruples its volume), and when cooked, they resemble couscous. You can add it to soups, main courses or salads.
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1:2
Cooking method :
1) Soak for 30 minutes;
2) Drain, wash thoroughly;
3) Pour water over it and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes;
4) Drain, split with a fork and serve.
Probably my favourite groats. Its distinctive taste and aroma combine very well with a large number of ingredients. I discovered the method of preparing buckwheat by
accident, when I tried to somehow replace the wrapping of a hot pot with groats with blankets or other warm things, as our grandmothers used to do :-). A preheated
and turned off oven is a very good alternative. The quality of buckwheat is the same as for wrapping.
I only use brown buckwheat, because it's just tastier. All the fairy tales that green buckwheat is healthier do not convince me.
What you can make from it :
Buckwheat is an excellent addition to dishes with thick sauces and a great addition to soups. With buckwheat there are amazing salads, casseroles and even desserts.
And in Korea, buckwheat is brewed and drunk like tea, very interesting, by the way.
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1: 1¾
Cooking method :
1) Wash;
2) Pour over with water, bring to a boil, add salt and fat (optional);
3) Put in an oven preheated to 180 ° С, then turn it off and leave it for half an hour. (You can leave it for longer).
Amaranth produces thousands of tiny seeds, and these are the most commonly used seeds in the kitchen. In stores, it can be found in the form of raw or expanded
grains, and even in the form of roasted or raw flour. The leaves of this plant are also edible, and their taste can be compared to spinach.
What you can make from it:
Amaranth grains can also be eaten as a snack, an addition to breakfast cereals, yoghurts or even cutlets. The most popular are expanded amaranth and flakes, which are
formed as a result of a slight flattening of the seeds. The cooked grains have a fine texture and softness.
Amaranth tastes great in combination with rice or groats. 1/4 cup amaranth and 1/2 cup rice / groats can be cooked in the same pot, starting with the ingredient that
requires more cooking time.
Proportion (glass of water to product) 1: 3
Cooking method:
1. Pour boiling water over the groats, and then rinse the grains thoroughly in cold water.
2. Boil water in a pot.
3.Add amaranth, reduce the fire. The water is supposed to gently bubble under the cover.
4. Cook it for about 20 minutes, until the grains absorb the water and become slightly translucent, shiny and slightly sticky.
Teff (tef), also known as sweet or Abyssinian grass, is one of the oldest African grains. Until now little known in Europe, it has been appearing on store shelves for some
time - both in the form of whole grains, as well as flour, flakes or teff-based drinks.
What you can make from it :
Teff has other benefits in addition to its valuable minerals. If we replace artificial gluten-free bread with homemade teff baked goods, we will obtain products with a
much longer freshness than in the case of using other flours and they will not crumble.
Increasingly, teff is used as a thickener in the food industry, incl. for the production of powdered soups, cookies, gruels, cereals and pies.
Cooking method :
You can use water or vegetable broth to prepare teff. Add half a cup of teff kernels to two cups of boiling water or broth. Cover the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes
until the water is completely absorbed. Stir the grains from time to time so that they do not stick to the bottom
Sorghum is one of the oldest cereals. It is related to corn and millet, as we can see in the chart. There are many varieties of sorghum (they are all gluten free). The light
ones are destined for flour. Dark ones are characterized by a high content of antioxidants.
The great interest in products based on this grain means that more and more often in store shelves we can find sorghum in the form of gems, groats, flakes and flour.
What you can make from it :
Articles made of sorghum are used in baking cakes (it is worth mixing several types of flour), as an ingredient of muesli and a thickener for soups and sauces. Sorghum is
also used in the production of African beer and Asian vodka.
Cooking methods :
1. Pour the sorghum into a bowl, pour water over it. We leave it to soak for a few hours, preferably overnight.
Sorghum can be cooked in at least three ways, in the right amount of water, in a pressure cooker or in plenty of water like pasta. The first two ways are healthier as the
minerals and vitamins remain in the grains that absorb water. In the third method, when pouring sorghum on a sieve, along with the liquid in which it was boiled, we lose
some of its valuable properties, so it is worth leaving this decoction for, for example, soup.
Method one: 1 glass of sorghum, which was previously soaked, drain on a sieve and put into a pot. Then salt the sorghum and pour 2.5 cups of boiling water over it.
Then bring to the boil, reduce the heat to minimum, cover with a lid and cook for about 30-40 minutes. Then leave the pot covered for another 10 minutes. The sorghum
should absorb all the liquid and become soft. We cool it down.
Method 2: 1 glass of sorghum, which was previously soaked, drain on a sieve and put into the pressure cooker pot. Then salt the sorghum and pour 1.5 cups of boiling
water over it. Immediately afterwards, we close the pressure cooker and cook for about 15 minutes. Then leave the pot covered for another 10 minutes. The sorghum
should absorb all the liquid and become soft. We cool it down.
Method 3: 1 cup of sorghum, which was previously soaked, drain on a sieve and put into a pot. Then salt the sorghum and pour 4 cups of boiling water over it. Then
bring to the boil, reduce the heat to minimum, cover with a lid and cook for about 40-50 minutes. Drain excess fluid on a sieve.
Gluten-free groats and seeds are a valuable source of protein, vitamins and minerals. With their help, you can conjure up real kitchen wonders. The most flexible
culinary seems to be millet - it can be mixed with chocolate pudding, an ingredient of millet "cheesecake" or a delicious millet - fruit mousse. At the same time, it can
also be prepared salty or spicy, and used as an addition to salads, soups or stews.
In gluten-free nutrition, it is also important to take care of the variety of consumed cereals and pseudo-cereals. Alternating use of the above-mentioned products
will allow you to properly balance the nutrients of the diet.
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