Hard Red Winter Wheat Berries with Vegetables, Butternut Squash Reduction (No Added Fat)

I wanted to cook with hard red winter wheat berries (normally, 1 part berries to 3 parts water for 30m under high pressure in a pressure cooker). I served my daughter some leftover kichedi (rice and lentils) and my Dad was eating out, so I cooked just for my wife and me. Here is what I did:


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hard red winter wheat berries
• 1 1/2 cups (i.e., 3 times as much as wheat berries) water
• Vegan bouillon cube
• 10 asparagus spears cut into 1" lengths (approx. a cup)
• Medium-large zucchini cut into 1/2" cubes (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms (about 6 medium-large mushrooms) cut into 3/8" slices
• 1 carrot cut into 1/4" slices (approx. 1 cup)
• (optional) about a 3/4" length of a jalapeno diced into 1/4" cubes (maybe 2T - but, of course, this can be to taste)
• 1 T finely minced (approx. 1/8") ginger
• 1 T citrus juice (I used tangelo - pulp and seed all blended, but simple lemon or lime or other citrus juice would be fine)
• 1 cup onion cut into 1/4" cubes (I used a combination of scallions and yellow onions)
• 1/4 t (or to taste) salt

Process

1. I put the wheat berries, water, and bouillon cube into my Instant Pot pressure cooker and cooked on high pressure for 28 minutes.
2. When I was ready to proceed, I slowly let out remaining pressure and opened the pot.
3. I mixed in the asparagus, zucchini, mushroom, carrot, jalapeno, and ginger, and cooked on high pressure for another two minutes.
4. When I was ready to serve, I slowly released pressure, mixed in the juice, onion, and salt, and served.

I had some thick butternut squash that I had leftover from when I made it for a client a few days ago. I cooked it down in a stock pan a bit, adding in some garlic, shallot, and citrus-infused salt, and served it, along with tomato.

Results

Pending

Ideas for the future

Pending