The Switch to Whole Foods

Only one person I know LIKES to spend hours in the kitchen. I don't! I rarely plan far enough ahead to remember the night before to rinse and soak beans and would rather not start 3 hours ahead of mealtime to cook and flavor them. Rarely do I start 1 hour ahead of mealtime to cook whole grains either! How, then, do I make meals in 30 minutes or less?

Spend a little time cooking large batches of whole grains and legumes.

• Freeze cooked grains or beans by placing 2 c. in quart zip-loc bags. Flatten, forcing air out as you go. Stack in freezer. Use within 6 months.
• Dry cooked wheat to make your own Bulgur, whole or cracked. Stores well on the shelf and cooks in only 15 minutes.
• Bottle beans using instructions found on p. 158 of Country Beans, or a current Ball Blue Book.
• Grind grains and beans to a flour so they can be used in baked goods, or cooked in only 3 minutes. Store in refrigerator or freezer if not used within 1 month.
• Crack grains and beans so they will cook in only 15 minutes. Store in refrigerator or freezer if not used within 1 month.
• Make up a few dry mixes - like 5-Minute Bean Dip, 3-Minute Cream Soups or Gravies, 100% Whole Wheat Bread Mix, Pasta, Corn Tortilla, Wheatquick, Seasonings, etc. When you're ready to prepare a meal, you can make it in a FLASH!

Passport To Survival Recipes
Learning to cook with whole foods-whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables-involves a little more effort than opening a can or a box, but oh what a reward awaits you! Filling, satisfying meals, so low in fat and so high in nutrients, are sure to please the whole family. Don't wait for an emergency to use these recipes. They're perfect for every meal of every day!

Refrigerating and Freezing
Grains and Beans Cooked grains and beans can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week. I like to cook a large batch and fill quart zip-loc bags with 2-cup portions.

Flatten bags, forcing out air. Freeze flat, then stack and store in the freezer up to 6 months. I have one stack of a variety of beans, and another of grains. When I want to use them in a recipe, I either break off what I need, or place the package in hot water or the microwave.

Copyright 1999 by Natural Meals Publishing. The information in this section may be freely used for non-profit purposes as long as the book source and author remain intact. Express permission of the author, Rita Bingham, must be received for commercial profit.

Updated: 24 Mar 99