Wheatberry Salad with Red Fruit

Adapted from the Food Network – this recipe is no longer posted, but this link provides many other recipes for adding more whole grains to your diet.

Guests LOVE this recipe. It’s a great healthy side for almost any main dish. A usual serving of wheatberries – 1/2 cup – without any dressing has 160 calories, 1 gram of fat, 6.5 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber and 1 mg of sodium, plus lots of vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 c cooked wheatberries (1 c wheatberries, 2 cups water, simmered until tender but still chewy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Drain, return to pan and stir in ½ tsp salt.)
2 large Fuji apples, unpeeled, diced
½ c pecan halves or almonds or pistachios, toasted* and coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp raspberry vinegar
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Combine OJ and cranberries in a small bowl and let stand 15 minutes.
2. Combine wheatberries, apples and nuts in a large bowl; stir gently. Drain the cranberries, reserving the juice. Stir the cranberries into the wheatberry mixture.
3. Whisk reserved OJ, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and stir gently to coat.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably a day, to allow flavors to combine. Serve cold or room temp. Make sure to toss before serving as much of the dressing settles to the bottom.

* To toast, spread nuts onto a baking sheet and bake at 350, stirring once, until fragrant, 7-9 minutes. Nuts burn easily, so watch carefully. Or, make it easy and buy them pre-toasted, at Trader Joe’s.

References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/281394-nutrition-information-on-wheat-berries/

– See more at: https://ladydocscornercafe.com/article/wheatberry–a-true-whole-grain/#sthash.bxp2IQYM.dpuf