Supergrains! Cook Your Way to Great Health

Supergrains
Cook Your Way to Great Health
by Chrissy Freer
Softcover, 224 pages

By now most of us know that eating whole grains is best for healthy digestion, weight loss, blood pressure, sugar levels and all-around good living. But we can do better than just choosing whole wheat bread at the grocery store - there are all sorts of great grains that pack a nutritional punch and have unique flavour and texture.

Supergrains wants to help you expand your great grain repertoire with 12 different and exciting grains - over half of which are gluten-free!

There are 100 simple supergrain recipes to help you get your year off to a great start. You are what you eat - this year you can be even more super! 

Contents of Supergrains include:

Introduction: 

What are supergrains?

Health benefits

Cooking guide

How to use supergrains

Quinoa

Amaranth

Buckwheat

Brown Rice 

Chia

Millet 

Oats

Spelt & Kamut

Barley

Farro & Freekeh

Look for the Supergrains challenge at http://www.cravebyrandomhouse.ca/!

Try this Supergrains recipe tonight, as published on the Ottawa Citizen

Chia-Crusted Salmon with Asian Greens & Tamari Dressing

Makes: 4 servings
Preparation time: about 20 minutes
3 tbsp (50 mL) white chia seeds
3 tbsp (50 mL) black chia seeds
Four 6-ounce (170-g) skinless salmon fillets
2 bunches choy sum (the small centre parts of bok choy, about 1 lb 9-12 ounces or 700-800 g), washed and trimmed
3 tbsp (50 mL) sunflower oil, divided
1 1/4-inch (3-cm) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Noodles or steamed brown rice, to serve

Tamari dressing:
3 tbsp (50 mL) oyster sauce
3 tbsp (50 mL) tamari
1 1/2 tbsp (22 mL) Chinese rice wine
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar

1. Combine the white and black chia seeds on a plate. Press each salmon fillet in the chia seeds to evenly coat one side, then set aside. Remove the stems from the choy sum.

2. Cut choy stems in half if long and reserve. To make the tamari dressing, put the oyster sauce, tamari, rice wine and sugar in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Cook the salmon, chia side down, for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes or until done to your liking.

4. Set cooked salmon aside on a warmed plate and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

5. Add the choy sum stems and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the choy sum leaves and stir-fry for 1 minute more or until almost wilted. Add half the dressing and toss to combine.

6. To serve, divide the choy sum among serving plates, top each with a piece of salmon and drizzle over a little of the remaining dressing. Serve with noodles or steamed rice.

Chrissy Freer  is a qualified nutritionalist, food writer and recipe developer who has worked with a host of celebrity chefs, including Bill Granger. She has contributed to more than ten Weight Watchers cookbooks, as well as the Biggest Loser Families Cookbook. She is a regular contributor to an extensive list of publications, including Delicious and Bon Appetit magazines.