What alternative grains should I be eating, and does anyone have good recipes for them?

amaranth is a good one. like quinoa, it is a whole protein. i like to make it in the morning as a breakfast porridge. its so small that the cooking time is very fast which is a benefit.

1 cup amaranth
1 cup water
1 cup soy milk (or other milk or just water)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt

simmer together until the grain is soft, about 10-15 minutes? i like to sprinkle raw sunflower seeds on top and add some fresh fruit and soymilk. this will make 2-3 servings

buckwheat is another flavorful grain- you can get buckwheat groats and cook like other grains. also available in pasta form (soba noodles) they are rich is protein and yummy

Spelt.

This is one of the oldest grains we learned and they have great bread...Rudi's Organic Spelt bread. This is a great way to eat another kind of grain rather than wheat. It tastes awesome toasted with a slice of cheddar cheese.

Another option is Oat...i love this Oatmeal Molasses bread after discovering them at Zachary's in Santa Cruz on Pacific Avenue. It is out of this world.

I have been curious to try making this bread. I am hoping this recipe is similar...http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oatmeal-Molasses-Bread/Detail.aspx

Spelt is really yummy. I don't know of any restaurants that serve spelt--does anyone else? In lieu of trying to replicate a chef's spelt masterpiece, I would go to Trader Joe's and buy their seasoned, packaged spelt. This way you can get a sense of the grain the way an experience culinary craftsperson designed it. It's been a wonderful inspiration for my own signature dishes.

these are fabulous answers, thanks everyone!

i love quinoa and if you weren't won over before i'd give it another shot

as above, whole protein, all 9 amino acids, 'super food' - ancient history (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa among other sites) - and it can have a wonderful buttery-nutty flavor

there are many recipes online

this is my basic cooking recipe (taken from a website) -- my sister does it with onions and other things in the mix while cooking -- you could add many veggies/sauces afterward:

Use 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/4-1/2 cup of water. For best results, carefully rinse the quinoa, then in a cast-iron skillet dry roast until you smell a nutty aroma, about seven minutes.

In a small wide-mouth pot, bring water to a boil.

Add the quinoa, turn the flame down to a low simmer and place the lid on the pot.

In about 25 minutes the quinoa will be cooked perfectly.

Take a fork and fluff it while removing it from the pot into a bowl.

Very important not to over fluff the grain. Leave it alone and let it cool.

What don't you like about cous cous? Poor little cous cous.

Yes, poor little cous cous. and poor little quinoa! Tell me if you change your mind after trying quinoa with lime and a pinch of sugar (without the sweetening, its bitterness can make my tongue curl...)

it's bitter if you don't rinse it *really* well. (saponin, which is removed to varying degrees depending on what kind of quinoa you buy)

Wow. Thanks, Zina. I didn't know that. How do you season your quinoa, or do you eat it plain?

Also, try polenta. Dry and loose is a pain but it comes in an organic loaf, wrapped in shrink wrap. You can slice it, saute in a little olive oil and serve w. salsa or bruscetta.

Complex carbs mentioned above (steel-cut oats, amaranth and quinoa) are delicious w. some dried fruit (cranberries,currants, blueberries) and slivered almonds, pecans or walnuts..

And remember how good grits are. Grits are good. Easy too. Buy a box of grits. Then
follow the directions. Grits is corn without the shell on the outside of the kernels, then the inside part is ground up. Put in plenty of salt and pepper, and a lot of butter on top. When I was a tiny child and lived in the south, we always thought it very amusing that the white grits with a big chunk of butter on top looked a lot like a fried egg. That's how much butter is the right amount. Did I say grits are healthy? No? Well that's good.

Here's a yummy quinoa recipe that might change your mind about quinoa. It's great to make too if you have leftover quinoa to use up.

You need a bowlful of cooked, room temp quinoa.
Add a generous amount of crumbled feta cheese, a handful or two of dried cranberries, and a handful or two of slivered almonds (toasted for extra flavor if you like).
Mince one jalopeno pepper very fine (be sure not to touch your eyes afterward! You might even want to wear gloves) and add it.
Add a couple splashes of olive oil and some squeezes of lemon juice.

It's soooooooo good. The combination of salty (feta), sweet (cranberries), savory (almonds), and spicy (jalopeno) is to die for. Mmmmm.

Oatmeal in the morning is so good and good for you. I've been having it lately with fresh Washington state peaches, which I slice first and then just put the oatmeal on to heat and gently warm the peaches. It is so delicious it's scary. And you could try it with other fresh fruits of the season.

I like the quinoa ideas. I also enjoy polenta and couscous as do others….just be sure not to confuse then with alternative grains. Polenta is just fancy cornmeal and couscous is wheat.

what about trying different types of rice? I have been getting red rice at rainbow and making yummy asian style stir fries. cook up shitake and lots of different kinds of greens and any other veggies you like…. you can make a dressing by squeezing orange or mandarin, mix with ginger juice, (i just squeeze ginger through a garlic press, you can also just grate it or chop it small) garlic, ume plum vinegar, sesame oil….

grate fresh carrots on top and put some nori on it too. pretty delicious if you do it right : )
i havent tried it, but i bet it would be really good with nuts too like slivered almonds or something….

Mix equal measures of any grains you can get and any fruit that is in season. Banana is often recommended, but I prefer raisins. Add water and a shake of salt and let it simmer for a while. It’s best to put it in a thermos with boiling water and let it sit overnight so it doesn’t burn. Don’t make any more than you can eat in one sitting because it won’t keep long. This is called porridge.