Popped Sorghum with Sunflower Seed Butter

Finally, a use for sorghum!  Because it is so very nutrient dense and full of fiber (the iron alone make it worth eating) we have been trying to find a way to sneak sorghum into our regime in this house for months. At $2 a bag for the organic stuff, it is difficult to overlook it; especially when you consider that a serving has ten grams of fiber and 24% of the recommended daily value of iron.

Used as a flour it is reportedly too "fluffy" and "spongy" for baking and as a side dish it is gummy and sandy and edible only if you really push the limits of what is considered food.  Believe me--I have tried.  But part of eating with a purpose is making sure that the food that is good for you tastes good enough to eat.  If ever you wish to challenge me with a good recipe for sorghum as a side, I am all ears.

The people Shiloh Farms mention on their site that you can pop sorghum. It was well after midnight when I read this and it was all I could do to wait until morning to give it a whirl. at  I did and yes, it does taste like POPCORN.   Perhaps just a bit crunchier and smaller.  It was tasty and definitely worth a try.  Try the method below for popped corn or popped sorghum--it's delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c. raw, dried sorghum grain
1.5  tablespoons sunflower seed butter*
1/2 - 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil or other heart healthy oil such as canola

* Peanut butter is an equally good replacement for the sunflower butter; I especially enjoy the crunchy variety over poppped corn or, now, sorghum.


INSTRUCTIONS:

1 - Place sorghum into air popper and pop as you would corn kernals.

2 - Place sunflower butter or peanut butter into a microwave safe dish.  Place in microwave for 5-15 seconds, watching it the entire time, until it is soft enough to stir and has loosened to a liquid texture. 

3 - Allow to cool for a moment and stir in beneficial oil to further thin the seed or nut butter mixture.

4 - Pour mixture over popped grain and, using hands, thoroughly toss to coat.  This is a very messy treat but it is well worth getting down and dirty for.

Sources of Fiber

Quick and Easy Oven Roasted Potato Wedges

I  have tried various oven-fried potato recipes but the hassle never seems worth the outcome. Here, you can have ease of preparation with a relatively healthy "french fry."

In general, I feel like the potato gets a bad rap because they're starchy and often presented deep fried or covered in butter and sour cream. These oven-fried potatoes are creamy yet crispy and delicious while still low in fat. Potatoes are a great source of vitamin C and have a good amount of potassium, too. Eat them with the skin on and they are also a good source of fiber.


INGREDIENTS:

4 med (6.5 oz) white potatoes, skin on
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Old Bay® seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS:

1 -- Set oven rack to upper middle position and turn broiler on.  Line baking sheet or jelly roll pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, set aside.

2 --Using fork or sharp knife, prick several holes in both sides of each potato. 

3 -- Place potatoes in microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Turn each potato over and cook for 4 minutes longer (Cooking time may vary per individual microwave.  You want the potatoes still firm yet soft enough to the touch to show they are cooked through). 

4 -- Allow potatoes to cool slightly to handle and slice into halves.  Slice each half into four wedges. 

5 -- Spread wedges evenly apart onto prepared pan, skin side down, and drizzle with olive oil, using fingers or brush to make sure all the white surfaces are lightly coated.  Sprinkle evenly with Old Bay® seasoning.

6 -- Place onto oven rack below preheated broiler.  Broil potatoes for 6-8 minutes or until brown on top.  Remove pan from oven, flip potatoes so that skin is up, and return to oven to broil for 2-3 minutes longer.  Remove from oven when they are crispy and brown.   Watch carefully to avoid over-crisping. 

Nutritional info per serving:

* Nutritional info compiled using recipe caculation program and is deemed close but not accurate.