Sprouted Wheat Berry Recipes

Sprouted Wheat Berry Salad - Mediterranean Style

St. Ignatius was bishop of Antioch, the Syrian city on the Mediterranean. A Mediterranean style salad using the wheat berries is a fitting feast day side dish or lunch. Directions for sprouting wheat berries shared in this previous post.

1 cup sprouted wheat berries 

1/2 cup kalamata olives (sliced) 

1/4 pine nuts 1/4 cup feta (grated) 

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (diced)

1/8 cup fresh basil (chopped)

1 T. olive oil 

1 t. balsamic vinegar

You can either use sprouted wheat berries raw or cook them. The tastes and textures vary slightly depending on how you use them - cooked slightly sweeter and a little chewier, raw more nutty flavor and slightly crisper. Both ways are good. If you cook wheat berries, put in saucepan with water to cover. Allow to boil. Take off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Drain and cool.

To make the salad simply mix all ingredients together in bowl. Chill and serve. Make approx. 4 servings. 

Sprouted Wheat Berry Bread Stick Croziers

Bread is one of the common uses of sprouted wheat berries. It can be made solely using the wheat berries ground or a combination of wheat berries chopped and wheat flour. If using only sprouted berries, they should be barely sprouted (about 48 hrs.) and not have developed the 1/4 inch tail. If chopped and added to a bread dough with flour can be more sprouted.

The staff or crosier is a common symbol of bishops, and since St. Ignatius was bishop of Antioch, following St. Peter a fun idea is to make crozier shaped bread sticks.

1 1/2 T yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 t. salt
2 T honey
1 egg
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3 -3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 - 3/4 cup sprouted wheat berries (chopped)

Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup water and, when dissolved, add remaining 3/4 cup water, oil, salt, honey, and egg. Beat smooth with wooden spoon. Beat in dry milk and 2 cups flour and wheat berries, then gradually mix in remaining flour until it is completely absorbed into dough. Dough will be somewhat sticky.

Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Shape as desired and let rise 1 hour.

For Bread Sticks: use refrigerated dough because it is easier to handle. Pinch off about 3 tablespoons dough or a 3-inch ball and roll into a log about 10 inches long and just under 1/2 inch around. curve end to shape into crozier. Place on oiled baking sheet. Cover and let rise about 1 hour. Bake for 10-12 minutes

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St. Teresa of Avila - Chicken Stew With Lighter than Air Dumplings

The following recipe was submitted by Kathy at 9 Peas in honor of the feast of St. Teresa of Avila.  Thank you Kathy! 

Here I go again, being a Feast Day Recipe Hack.

St. Teresa of Avila's Feast Day was on October 15th

I know she was brilliant, a Doctor of the Church, but I strongly suspect she had as sense of humor. When I read some of her quotes and stories I am inspired, and usually a few of them spark some imaginative ideas among our children about her humility allowing her to laugh at herself (sometimes, I know she also begged for no more public favors). I might be wrong, but I love the thought that she did have a sense of humor so and with that in mind I decided to hack my Chicken Stew with Dumplings into a recipe just for her. The dumplings are very light and the stew is hearty, so why not - think about it.

I begin by making stock. Take a whole chicken, add chopped up veggies (celery, onions, carrots, garlic etc..) and boil on the stove with herbs (parsley, kosher salt, pepper, sage, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, celery salt) I usually simmer this for several hours, then I place a colander on top of another pot and pour the stock through to catch all the veggies, the chicken and allowing the broth to be caught in the pan I intend to make the stew in. I take out 2 cups of broth and set that aside. I allow 1 cup to cool to add to the dumplings and I mix about 1/2 cup corn starch into the other cooled broth and mix until corn starch is completely dissolved and set aside to add a bit later.

Dumplings are pretty much biscuits with a few tweaks. I take 2 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 cup shortening. Mix dry ingredients first then cut in the shortening. Once shortening is blended well make a well in the center and add 1 cup broth. If you need more liquid, add milk but you don't want to dumplings too wet so mix well before adding anything. Roll out dough and then take a pizza cutter and cut into squares.

Now go back to the broth, turn the heat up to high medium and add chopped up carrots and frozen peas (sometimes I add corn too) I always discard the veggies from stock and add fresh at this stage. I also season the broth if it needs more. This can be by your preference, but I generally add more salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Add the corn starch blend you mixed up and stir it in good.

Once the broth is at a good rolling boil start dropping in the dumplings - DO NOT STIR! I'm serious, don't stir it because it will break down your dumplings. I use a wooden spoon to push them aside a bit to allow more to be added, but I never stir until the dumplings start to look like they are done. They will first puff up and then start settling down. I keep the lid on the pot at this stage and cook about 20 more minutes to allow the stew to thicken up. When you do begin stirring, do so very gently.



Voila and yum! This is my husbands most favorite meal! It may be a lot of steps, but it is actually easy to make and all those steps are worth it because you end up with a very hearty stew full of flavor.

While we ate the meal we passed around text with St. Teresa of Avila quotes in it. It is such a wonderful change to go from always instructing and teaching while your children are young to see those minds formed and adding to the discussion about a Saint. Hearing how they understand a quote and what it means to them is a lesson for the parents as well.


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St. Faustina's Soup

The following post was submitted by Kathy at 9 Peas, complete with a soup recipe from their recent celebration of the feast of St. Faustina on October 5th.  Thank you Kathy!   

You should know, I'm a notorious 'feast day' recipe hack. Which means, I take a recipe and 'make' it work for the feast day, not the other way around. I learned pretty quickly that I do not cook well when trying other country's recipes. I do really well when I try to make something have a 'feel' of that country. The goal is for my kids to learn, and for us to enjoy a meal together.

Saturday, the Feast for St. Faustina Kowalska was actually cold and rainy. The perfect day for a soup, that I dubbed Polish because it had sausage in it - and that might be stretching it because it wasn't technically Polish Sausage 'ahem' but, for my children's sake it was a soup we already love and therefore I christened it St. Faustina's soup for the sake of the Feast Day and the soup didn't have a name anyway, so it was meant to be. *recipe at bottom of post*

I did not make these. I looked up Polish Desserts online and found this website. I knew our local Sam's carried these and being pressed for time - I picked up a box. The kids loved them and I appreciated getting to provide a Polish treat without any more kitchen time. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook & bake but Saturday was filled to the brim, we didn't make it to the Symphony Concert, because our day was so jam packed.

What would I do without these Turkey's I just do not know. They keep me in laughing, and I love watching their sense of humor develop! I also love watching their Faith grow, I enjoy Feast Days so that we can learn about the Saint but also about the country they are from.

St. Faustina's Soup

2 lbs sausage (you could be on your game and actually buy polish sausage for this, I know it would be delicious)
1 small yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
(I usually soak Great Northern Dry Beans and cook those for this, but Saturday was busy, so I used cans)
2 can butter beans
2 cans Capelini Beans
2 can Northern Beans
(Basically just use any white beans you like, but remember the salt content will be greater so taste before over salting)
2 bunch kale washed and torn into shreds
Chicken Broth (I use 2 boxes)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Cook Sausage with onions and garlic, add to crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on low all day, serve with hearty bread or croutons. Sooooo yummy!

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Sprouting Wheat - Getting Ready for St. Ignatius of Antioch

Catholic Culture's Liturgical Year website: 
St. Ignatius is one of the great bishops of the early Church. He was the successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Antioch. He was condemned to death by wild beasts during the Emperor Trajan's persecution. On his way to Rome, he wrote seven magnificent letters, which we still have today, concerning the Person of Christ, his love for Christ, his desire for martyrdom and on the constitution of the Church and Christian life. His sentiments before his approaching martyrdom are summed in his word in the Communion antiphon, "I am the wheat of Christ, ground by the teeth of beasts to become pure bread."

Wheat berries are a great visualization of this quote from St. Ignatius.  Sprouted wheat berries can be included in many dishes and are very nutritious, so would be a nice option for his feast day, October 17.

Sprouting wheat berries is easy, but you need to think ahead a little. You need a few days to get them to sprout so they will be ready to eat or use in recipes on St. Ignatius' feast. So if you want to join in and start now, you will need:

• wheat berries
• mason jar(s)
• cheesecloth
• water

Fill a mason jar about 1/3 full of dried wheat berries (to allow for expansion). Rinse wheat berries and drain. Refill jar with fresh water so that it is about an inch above or twice as high as the berries. Cover with cheese cloth and jar ring (or rubber band). Let sit for at least 12 hours. After it has sat, pour out water and rinse berries thoroughly. After jar is drained well, place on side, so seeds spread out for better air flow. A couple times a day rinse with luke warm water and drain berries and place jar on side again. Berries should sprout to 1/4 inch in 2-4 days. Once sprouted they are ready for use. To keep, refrigerate them. Will keep about 1 week. 

Notes:
~Simple uses for sprouted berries: sprinkle over yogurt, mix into salads as topping, put into sandwiches, add to soups or stir fry.
~Recipe ideas to follow. 
~Would be fitting for Easter season, too. Sprouting wheat symbolizes the Paschal mystery. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24)


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Wilfra Apple Cake

The following recipe, adapted from Cooking with the Saints, was submitted by Hi Cookery in honor of the feast of St. Wilfrid. Thank you Highlander and Islander!

October 12: Feast Day of St. Wilfrid

If a certain dessert is “American as apple pie,” then this similar sweet is as British as Wilfra apple cake. This recipe is associated with St. Wilfred, a seventh century bishop who established several churches and monasteries, oversaw a large diocese and preached to the pagans in England.

English culture and cuisine influenced the colonists of early America. Wilfra apple cake is probably a precursor to apple pasty/pastie and pie. The unique ingredient, however, is the shredded cheddar cheese which, when melted, binds the apple filling together.

For a different yet delicious dessert that is a cross between a cake and a pie, try Wilfra apple cake on the Feast Day of St. Wilfrid.

Recipe

(Adapted from Cooking With the Saints by Ernst Scheugraf)

For the pastry dough

• 3 cups flour
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons water, cold

For the filling

• 1 ½ pound cooking apples (we used Granny Smith variety)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
• milk
• sugar

Directions

Cut the butter into small pieces. In a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the salt, sugar and lemon juice. Pour in the cold water and mix into a smooth dough. Divide in half. Roll each out to ¼ inch thick.

Lay one of the pastry pieces on the bottom of a well greased square (10 x 10 inch) or rectangle (8 x 12 inch) pan. Reserve the other pastry piece to put on top of the filling.

Peel the apples and slice them thinly. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle lemon juice to prevent browning. Mix in the brown sugar.

Add the cheddar cheese. Spread the apple mixture on top of the bottom pastry layer. Cover with the other pastry layer. Cut out shapes from the extra pastry dough to decorate the edges (optional).

Brush the top layer with a little milk. Finish off the edges (optional) with any cut-out pastry dough shapes. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely to allow the juices from the apples to set with the cheese. Slice into squares and serve.

Notes

• If “apples are of your eyes,” then try the recipe for apple pie on National Apple Pie Day on December 3. Search our blog for other recipes containing apples as an ingredient.
• Leftover pastry dough can be used to make delicious “dokeyanas” (pets de souers). They are sweet, swirled cinnamon rolls that we blogged about on National Pastry Day on December 9.

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Pasta Roses for St. Therese

Shower your dinner table with delicious edible roses for St. Therese's feast day. This recipe for Rosette di Pasta or Pasta Roses is a variation on the traditional and unique dish from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.  The original recipes call for ham and fontina cheese. The finished product is a slightly rosey pasta flowerette. I decided to make some with this more traditional recipe and also a variation using a typical lasagna filling for a deeper color. 

While most of the recipes call for a homemade pasta cut into rectangles, I opted for using regular boxed lasagna noodles. Those were pre-cooked according to directions and then I cut off one edge so they would have a flatter base to set on after they were rolled. 

Ham & Fontina Variation:
On the pasta length I spread a cream sauce (Alfredo), placed thin slices of fontina on sauce, and thin sliced ham over that. 

The layered pasta was then rolled up and set upright in a baking dish, fluted side up. After all the rosettes were in place the additional sauce was poured around the base and brushed over the tops. 

Lasagna Filling Variation:
On the pasta length I spread a layer of ricotta cheese, then covered that with the meat and tomato sauce filling, grated mozzarella was sprinkled on top, and a bit of dried parsley over. 

The remaining sauce was again poured around the base of the completed rosettes. With the ham and fontina variation I cut the lasagna noodles in half before rolling. For these I used the entire length of lasagna noodle and the end product was a much fatter rosette. Both were fine - so it could be done either way.  With a paring knife (or kitchen scissors) make an X cut about 1/2 inch deep into top of each piece to make the roses bloom." Press down slightly to open them a little. 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

There are several other filing variations you could use. In addition to being a meal option for St. Therese's feast it could also be used for other saints associated with roses; St. Rose, St. Rita, St. Rose Duchesne. Be creative and enjoy. 

St. Therese of Lisieux,
Pray for Us!

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Heavenly Garden Apple Rose Pastries

My girls and I enjoyed baking Apple Roses in preparation for the feast of St. Thérèse!  There are many variations of Apple Roses that can be found online, including pies, tarts, cakes and more, but we decided to use the puff pastry sheet we had in the freezer to make the following Apple Rose Pastries.  Happy Feast of St. Thérèse! 

Heavenly Garden Apple Rose Pastries

adapted from here and here

Ingredients:

• 1 Puff Pastry Sheet 
• 3 Apples - I used a combination of Fuji and Pink Lady
• 5 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 4 cups Water
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Powdered Sugar for dusting (optional)
• Parchment Paper

Directions:



Wash and core the apples. Slice in very thin slices, slightly smaller than 1/8 inch.  Place the sliced apples in a saucepan along with the 4 cups water, 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes, or until the apple slices soften and can easily bend. 



Strain the apples and let cool in the colander.  Line a plate with paper towels and nicely arrange the apple slices so that they can dry and cool completely.

While the apples are cooling, mix the 5 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest.  Prepare you work surface by lightly sprinkling it with some flour (or just use a silicone mat) and unfold the sheet of puff pastry (it is easiest to work with if it is not completely thawed).  Using a pastry (or pizza) cutter, cut long strips approximately 1/2 inch wide.  Spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough and slightly press it down.

By this time your apples should be cool and almost dry.  Take a few slices and place them on the first strip of pastry dough, overlapping them so they do not fall out and will create a rose-like design (petals) once completed.  Now start rolling, making sure it is fairly tightly rolled.  Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Repeat until you have create all of the Apple Roses.

Bake at 425˚F for 25 minutes, or until nicely golden.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

St. Thérèse, the little flower, please pick me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love; ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore and tell Him I will love Him each day more and more. -Rose Novena

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