Grain Range

Grains have been part of our diets since the beginning of time immemorial.They are versatile, going wells with any kind of meat, fish or even vegetable.They are healthy for us as well,adding to our nutritional blanche.Best of all they can be made in variety of ways from salads to beds cradling the main dish. They were the subject of Mark Bittman's Flexitarian column in today's New York Times Dining section.Mr Bitman gives ideas about cooking it as well as serving it.There are so many different types from wheat berries to faro .He laso gives a shout outvto rice and its many varieties from red to black ,from basmati to wild.He offers suggestions on how to cook it,which is usually for a while to ensure the full flavor and how to serve it - any way you want.You can even use unsweetened puffed rice cereal too.This is a quick and healthy addition to any salad. There Re some good recipes.Mr. Bittman recommends a faro Nicoise using faro as the base along with the classic salad's ingredients.It's a tasty alternative and makes a nice summer dinner dish.There's also a millet dish featuring corn, mango and shrimp.You could add quinoa too to this for another healthy dish.These grains can work well on their own, but remember grains do need a sidekick.You can cook them in water but add some butter and spices too to being out their true taste.You can also cook them in a veggie, beef or chicken broth too. Grains are a wonderful addition to any diet.There's a variety of them out there to add to salads and meat dishes.They not only give the kick of nutrition but also flavor too.