Sunday, September 2, 2012

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Veggie Wheat Berry Salad
Carbs with no guilt!  
I feel in love with the healthy meals in the Sept issue of Womens Health. This is one of them. 

Carbs in my opinion is the hardest thing to cut out of your diet. We eat carbs when were happy, sad, anxious or just for a simple comfort food. The bad thing is that we reach for the bad cards and junk food like chips, nachos, fries ect. Research shows that a daily dose of healthy whole wheat grain can help you slim down and keep your body running smooth. Finding this recipe made my day, I have always had a salty tooth and a very low sweet tooth so this was right up my alley. This is great for a summer picnic, a backyard bbq or even just as a side dish instead of rice. With fresh ingredients, delicious and easy dressing you cant go wrong. 
Wheat berries don't get soggy they only get better as they soak longer in the dressing. They take a while to prepare but they are worth the wait. 

Ingredients:
1 cup Wheat Berries  (soft white)
1lb tomatoes, finely chopped and seeded 
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cucumber, finely chopped and seeded
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Dressing:
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt & pepper (optional)
(whisk all together)

Soak the Wheat Berries in a bowl of cool water at least 9-10hrs Max 16hrs. Drain them, pour wheat berries in a large pan, fill two-thirds of the way with water. Similar to making rice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer until grains are tender and chewy (this will take about 1hr). Drain and run under cool water. Let stand in strainer till they get to room temp, meanwhile mix up the dressing ingredients and chop all your veggies. Mix everything together let it marinate for about 30 min and its ready to eat. (I personally like it to marinate in the fridge and its good cool). 

Good luck and enjoy your healthy carb snack!  

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