Wheat Berries with Cinnamon and Dates Delight
Everyone loves the taste of sweet and cinnamon together! The problem is that when these two are together, it usually involves something unhealthy for you. Not to fear, the Laila Approach has your sweet tooth covered! This recipe combines healthy sweets, protein, and fiber for a delicious breakfast that will give you plenty of fuel for whatever comes your way.
When I have wheat berries with cinnamon and dates for breakfast, I often don’t ask for a midday snack. I am good to go until lunch. In addition, sometimes I take this for a midnight snack when I am working a night shift in the ER. It keeps me full and satisfied all night.
You cannot go whole more that whole wheat berries. These nutty nuggets are full of nutrition. They are rich in antioxidants, protein, iron, vitamin B, and fiber.
With proper meal planning, these wheat berries can be cooked on a day off to keep in the fridge. Or you can freeze them divided into small sections to use as you go. Believe me; they are worth the effort. I usually cook the wheat berries on my day off, I just put some dry wheat berries in the pressure cooker and off I go. I store them in the fridge to use in my recipes during the week. If I have some leftover, I freeze for a later time.
Ingredients:
Two cups cooked of wheat berries
Six dates diced small
Three tablespoons of raisins
½ teaspoon of cinnamon (I sometimes add more for intense flavor)
One or two tablespoons of low-fat yogurt of your choice
Direction:
Cooking hard red wheat berries:
First, clean the wheat berries by placing them in a fine strainer. Wash with cold water and drain.
HINT: If you don’t have an instant pot or pressure cooker, try preparing the hard-red wheat berries the day before you plan on making this meal. It will save you time and effort!
NOTE: Soaking hard red wheat berries will speed up the cooking time. I recommend soaking for a minimum of four hours or overnight. If you have an instant pot or pressure cooker, you can skip the instructions on the traditional method below and cook to your appliance’s directions. An instant pot or pressure cooker will often reduce the cooking time to a matter of minutes.
Cooking the red wheat berries using the traditional method: Fill a large pot with 5 cups of water, add the soaked hard red wheat berries, and a pinch of salt. Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the wheat berries are tender and soft. Stir often. May need to add little water until they are cooked.
Once the red wheat berries are tender, drain the excess water, add a pinch of a salt, mix, and set aside.
Let cool to room temperature or store in the fridge until ready to use.
Take two cups of warm cooked wheat berries, add cinnamon, diced dates, and raisins and mix well.
Can be served hot or try it cold with low-fat yogurt of your choice. Enjoy!