Joe’s first Instant Pot recipe blog
Ancient grain definition:(1)
Ancient grains are a group of grains and pseudo cereals (seeds that are consumed like grains) that have remained mostly unchanged for thousands of years.
They’re dietary staples in many parts of the world, such as China, India, Africa, and the Middle East. Today, ancient grains are becoming more popular in Western countries.
That’s because they are not highly processed and pack more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than
more widespread grains like corn, rice, and modern wheat.
In addition, studies have linked ancient grain consumption to health benefits, such as lower heart
disease risk, better blood sugar control, and improved digestion.
Elizabeth will attest I struggle in the kitchen to prepare ANY dish (except maybe eggs) but with the Instant Pot, I am capable of creating some good dish outcomes. Check out my latest
creation below. I put together a quick, simple ancient grains recipe in our Instant Pot (or any multi cooker.) We love ancient grains vs white or brown rice. It may have some health benefits although many nutritionists refute some of the claims. We like the slightly lower glycemic index and we mostly love the taste and texture. It has a high carb count (see below) so keep your portions smaller to not sabotage your weight management habit. Ancient grains are more expensive than many other kinds of rice but by far much tastier. Quinoa and ancient grains are our “starch” or carb of choice when we add them to our protein and vegetable entrée dish.
Ancient Grains (1 serving) (ref 4)
1⁄2 cup cooked contains
56g total carbs
51g net carbs
1.8g fat, 7g protein
278 calories
Here’s the recipe to add to the Instant Pot for serving 2-3 people.
Ingredients:
● 1 cup of ancient grains
● 1 cup chicken or beef stock
● 1 teaspoonful of salt
Step 1
● Add the ingredients
● Set Instant Pot to rice setting by pushing the rice button
● Reattach lid
Step 2
● In 3-7 minutes or so you should hear the slight hissing sound and the white button will pop up by the venting relief valve. It should be flush with at the top.
● Make sure this takes place or cooking time will not be correct
Step 3
● After the 12-15 minutes of pressure cooking the unit will go into the “keep warm” cycle on the display and track how many minutes have elapsed.
● Its time to check the contents and see if we need more cooking time to be repeated
● Carefully release the steam with the venting valve until the button falls back down
● Carefully open the lid
Step 4
● Inspect the rice by shoving some of the rice aside to see if some stock still remains.
Also carefully taste the rice. Chances are it may need more time to simmer.
● If its texture is too tough try reattaching the lid and let it go on the “Keep warm” setting for another hour or if you want to redo the cooking cycle due to time constraints you can redo it but you may need to add a slight amount of more stock. Repeat steps 1-4 if starting another cooking cycle. The unit will alert you if the contents are at a point of burning or getting scorched due to a lack of moisture. I like to use the “keep warm” mode so I plan ahead when making ancient grains
Step 5
● Release the pressure with the valve allowing the white button to fall back down (it may
do it on its own if you let it sit for more than an hour but always relieve the pressure anyway
for safety. It’s a good habit.
● Taste the rice for texture. We like it a bit al dente (not mushy) but not crunchy.
● Add salt if needed but that’s based on individual preference
Enjoy this delicious ancient rice dish that is really simple to make. You family will love it. We usually make extra for a meal because a small 1⁄3 to 1⁄2 cup portion of the grains goes well with a “starch” choice for the lunches I pack for work. I usually like this portion size of ancient grains with my protein because of the higher carb content.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or any other brand of a multi cooker I highly recommend it. It will save you loads of time and money. More blogs and videos with fantastic recipes coming out using this amazing kitchen appliance. Stay tuned.
References:
Brought to you by RxHealthyHabits
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