Grains are an important part of our diet, and cooking them is not nearly as challenging as people seem to believe. In fact, you can cook almost any grain in the same fashion as pasta – by boiling! And also, like pasta, grains are inexpensive. Look for them in the bulk section of stores, where you can buy just as much as you’d like, especially if you’re trying a grain for the first time.
Get to know these eight grains, all of which cook up in 30 minutes or less.
Cook Time: 5 – 15 minutes
Usually made from semolina or whole wheat flour. Comes in a variety of sizes and colors.
A very forgiving grain – won’t turn to mush when cooking (or overcooking). Try as a vegetable pilaf, risotto, stew, or gratin.
Cook Time: 5 – 10 minutes
Rolled oats are the most flavorful and best-textured oat variety. Try as oatmeal, granola, or adding into baked goods.
Combine with fresh or dried fruit, ground spices, nuts, and seeds.
Cook Time: 10 – 20 minutes
Bulgar is nothing more than finely ground wheat kernels with a mild, nutty flavor and fluffy texture.
Try: creaming bulgar and serving with roasted or grilled vegetables, making it into a pilaf, chili, or pan-fried patties.
Cook Time: about 20 minutes
Quinoa is nutty and grassy in flavor with a slight crunch.
Try: serving with caramelized onions, herbs, and other vegetables, in a potato pancake or roasted with potatoes and cheese.
Cook time: about 20 minutes
Pearled barley is creamy with a slightly chewy texture, which makes it a great rice alternative.
Try: as a pilaf, mushrooms in a stew, or as a succotash with beans and corn.
Cook time: 20 – 30 minutes
Cornmeal is exactly what it sounds like – ground and dried corn kernels. Look for stone-ground, which is the most flavorful and least processed.
Use yellow cornmeal for polenta and white for grits. Serve either seasoned with cheese and herbs, with meat, vegetables, beans, and herbs.
Cook time: 20 – 30 minutes
Kasha is hulled and roasted buckwheat kernels that have a unique, nutty taste. Toast in a skillet before cooking to prevent a mushy texture in the end.
Try: serving with onions, parsnips, mushrooms, or bitter greens.
Cook time: 20 – 30 minutes
Millet is mild, nutty, and cornlike. It is said to be one of the first grains used by humans in Ancient China.
Try: making into a mash with garlic and cauliflower or carrots, or bake with winter squash.