Thursday, January 17, 2013

Everything Roasted Warm Red Winter Wheat Berry Salad

Everything Roasted Warm Red Winter Wheat Berry Salad

This morning was cold, very cold, -7C (19F) cold... So I let myself  linger under a blanket for a few extra minutes before I rushed myself out of a bed. Then I had my traditional ritual "wake me up" dance (you know, the one when you move all your limbs in different directions), which this morning turned out to be a "warm me up dance". 
You know I am not a morning person, not at all. And my kids, bless their hearts, have been so kind to let me sleep just a little longer, like 2-3 minutes longer on a school day mornings. 
Today when I finally got out of the bed and came to the dining room, the teenager was doing the same "warm me up" dance. After a quick breakfast we left for the car, continue moving our limbs, almost performing a break dance on a parking lot. 
That's when I thought of something warm and comfortable for lunch, and Everything Roasted Warm Winter Wheat Berry Salad idea came to me. 
What else would you think of on a parking lot?! :)


Fennel


***
Everything Roasted Warm Red Winter Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients:


  • 1 cup cooked red winter wheat (see notes)
  • 1/2 fennel bulb
  • 1 carrot
  • 1/2 red pepper
  • 1 turnip
  • 1 parsley root
  • 1/2 squash
  • 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried herbs mix (basil, oregano, rosemary, coriander, chives, marjoram)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 Tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Vegetables 



Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

Cut fennel, carrot, red pepper, turnip, parsley root and squash into wedges, place in a large bowl, add dried herbs and olive oil, and mix. 
Transfer all vegetables to a baking sheet, and bake 25-30 minutes.
Wash and dry the bowl. 
Mix roasted vegetables and cooked wheat berries with lemon juice and chopped parsley.
Sprinkle with chia seeds and serve.


Red Winter Wheat Berries

Notes:
1. Dry wheat berries take a long time to cook, about 2-3 hours. If you pre-soak it for 8-10 hours, the cooking time will be reduced 30 minutes. I usually pre-soak wheat berries from 10 to 24 hours, rinsing it a few times before cooking. Then I keep cooked wheat berries in the refrigerator and add to my soups, salads, breads, and etc. 
2. This recipe has no salt in the ingredient list as it doesn't need any: you have all that flavor from the dried herbs, enhanced by the heat, plus lemon juice and fresh parsley. However, if you wish to, you can add salt and pepper to taste.

***



Now, I am off to another dance, a happy belly dance!

See you,
Marina

25 comments:

  1. I love a good roasted salad! And hehe you make me smile with the image of everyone warming up! :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. You found fennel! Good news. ;-) And a terrific looking salad. I love roast veggies, and this is a great assortment. And the wheat berries are a fun idea. Good stuff - thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dancing does warm you up! And this meal looks like a winner for a cold winter day! Enjoy your evening!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This looks really really good! I know I'll try it, very very soon... There is almost nothing better than roasted veggies:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a pretty dish. Looks delicious! I love roasted root vegetables. Winter Red Wheat Berries is new to me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love this dish Marina! It looks rustic, wholesome, healthy... and sooo yummy!! I love fennels. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks delightful, warm, and comforting! We have a chill in the air, too...and I good really go for something in the way of comfort food.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was planning to make a similar dish this weekend except with Israeli couscous. I'm going to take a few ideas from your yummy recipe and combine them with mine! Happy weekend, Marina!

    ReplyDelete
  9. A wholesome, healthy and good looking salad. Have not worked with wheat berries before, must make amends. Everytime I read a recipe that calls for chia seeds, the chia pet commercial pops into my head.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've not done much with wheat berries yet. I bought some once to use in a meatless chili (I'll give that recipe an "eh"). This sounds much better. Thanks for the idea.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Marina, I love this roasted lunch idea! I don't know why but I keep on seeing such dishes during the summer and never in the winter, but, as you say, it must be very warming! I love the fennel photo!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am sure the flavours coming from the roasting must be truly delicious :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    ReplyDelete
  13. Marina it's stunning! I love love love fennel. A total fave! And with those wheatberries and roasted red peppers, what a scrumptious meal! And the squash, too. And such pretty pics!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks like you came up with something wonderful - it would definitely make me do the happy dance too! Love the pretty colors and textures!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Not big on fennel, but the rest looks tempting!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Even though I'n not familiar with wheat berries, I think this roasted vegetable dish sounds delicious, Marina. You've assembled such a wonderful group of ingredients to produce a dish of rich flavors and textures, not to mention nutrient-filled. Just what a family of dancers needs to get going in the morning. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Now I can talk a little, but my girl is sick, she has angina-(( We have such a gold weather also and windy. I made a big pot of "mors" today for my kids and cooked a little. I like roasting vegetables in winter, yours look really good. Simple and delicious dish, well done Marina and thank you for your friendship!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a pretty and colorful dish Marina, I love the combination of all the veggies with the wheat berries...it is so funny because I got some wheat berry and did know what to do with it...now I know :)
    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Marina! What a perfect lunch for a cold winter day. I love all the fresh veggies that you used and wheat berries are my one of favorites. I love their chewy texture and they really pair perfectly with just about anything. I actually cook them off (no soaking required) in about 40 minutes and they taste great. I also saw a recipe from Cooks Illustrated where you dry sauté them first and them cover them with water and simmer for 40 minutes. I'm going to give that way a try next and see how they turn out. I will let you know! I hope it warms up for you soon! We finally got reprieve from the cold weather we've been having, so you should be next. xoxo, Jackie

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Marina! I love roasted veggies, and so happy to see my favorite fennel bulb in this. :) I love using it for soup but haven't tried roasting them. This sounds healthy and delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Now this is a great way to fight off the cold. It has been brutal here too...but finally warmed up this past weekend. Thank goodness. But I still feel like roasted veggies and this salad will do my body good! Thank you for sharing! I hope you are having a lovely week!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Roasting vegetables makes their flavors even more intense! This salad is ideal for temperatures like the ones you describe!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Your salad sounds good. I have had wheat berries but have never cooked them myself. Thanks for the soaking tip.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I LOVE your salad, this is my type of food (unfortunately, my husband and boys are less keen on veggie wheat salads....). Roasted vegetables are delicious combined with salads...this will be soon on MY menu!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm not the morning person, unless morning comes just after sleepless night, never after a goodnight sleep if you know what I mean ;-) As far as I remember I have never was able to wake up to see the sunrise, but it happen a few times that I enjoyed it as a part of a late night, just before going to sleep;-)
    I must admit that I really like your salad. Usually during the winter I prepare something similar but vegetable composition is slightly different. yum, yum, yum:-)

    ReplyDelete

Your warm comments put a smile on my heart.