The Beauty of Wheat Pearls
Wheat and black-eyed beans make good bedfellows.
I know we do eat enough wheat with our Sandwhich lunch diet in the UK. And most of the bread consumed is made of wheat and rarely includes other grains like rye, spelt, oats or barley. But eating whole wheat grain is a very different experience. I find cooked wheat grain or pearl barley added to lentils or vegetarian mince, for a Vegetarian Moussaka or Chilli for example) gives a crispy plumpness which simulates a meaty texture (something I miss at times in my vegetarian diet).
Anyway, we have seen some sunshine in Manchester (this city looks beautiful now that summer is approaching) and it is time to serve hearty and balanced salads for dinner, hence the grain and the beans. The following was one of two salads which comprised our dinner yesterday.
Wheat Grain and Black-eyed Bean Salad
I had soaked the wheat over night and boiled it with some salt until it was tender. And I had soaked black-eyed beans the previous day (not really necessary, these beans don’t really need soaking) and boiled them with a few bay leaves and cloves. I am always happy when I manage not to overcook lentils and beans….
Ingredients
A rough guide for 2 people
a handfull of cooked wheat grain
a handfull of cooked black-eyed beans
a handfull of halved and blanched green beans (steamed for 4-6 minutes and cooled in a bowl of cold water)
4 radishes, finely cubed
1/2 yellow pepper, finely cubed (I held a red and orange one next to the wheat an it seemed the yellow looked best with it)
2 spring onions, sliced
plenty of chopped chives
lemon juice, virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, a little spritzer of tamari, a pinch of cumin and a pinch of coriander
Method
Mix. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Eat.
Plattfields Park. So much green just a few minutes away...
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