I know we all are searching for healthy alternatives to add to our everyday meals, and the folks over at
Freekeh Foods have come up one, freekeh!. It's a healthy grain that is great for breakfast, side dishes and whole meals. They offer three different varieties, tamari, rosemary sage and original. For my review I chose original and tamari. Since I am not really original when it comes to cooking, matter of fact most call me cooking challenged, I used some of the awesome recipes that they post over on their
recipe page. The recipes were super easy to follow, and tasted delicious.
The first recipe I tried was the warm breakfast freekeh. I used the original flavor of the freekeh for this dish. It is a great alternative to oatmeal, and a great change up it you are bored with just eating eggs.
- 1 8-ounce package cracked freekeh (approx 1 cup) (Original variety)
- 2 1/2 cups water (for richer flavor, try cooking in almond milk, or coconut milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance® or butter
Pour freekeh and liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil for about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon and Earth Balance® or butter. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Serve with fresh sliced fruit and top with nuts.
Options: You can also add a dollop of yogurt for extra protein and creaminess.
I also tried a recipe for dinner, and used the tamari flavor . Like I said I'm cooking challenged, so I picked a really easy recipe. I chose the lemon chicken with dill. It was awesome, and my kids even tried it. They are super picky, but they admitted that it tasted pretty good.
- 1 8-ounce package cracked freekeh (approx. 1 1/3 cups) (Original or Tamari Freekeh work well)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2-3 cups carrots diced
- 4-6 garlic cloves, diced
- 4 tablespoons Earth Balance® or butter
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3-4 chicken breasts, whole, skinless, boneless
- 1 bunch fresh dill (about 1 cup), chopped
- juice of 2 lemons or about 4 tablespoons
- fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste
In a large skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat. Toss in carrots, onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add Earth Balance® or butter to skillet and add in uncooked freekeh. Stir to coat freekeh. Add chicken broth. Place chicken in the liquid with the freekeh and vegetables. Top with the dill and the juice of one lemon. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for an
additional 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Add a little dill and cracked pepper, plus the rest of the lemon juice and serve.
I really liked both flavors of the freekeh that I tried, and will definitely be adding it to my staple of foods that I keep in the pantry. The prices is extremely reasonable, $14.40 for a case of 6 packages. That equals out to just $2.40 a package. Pretty comparable to all the other grains that are offered. You can order them directly from their
site or see if there is a store near you that sells them
here.
Now I have some great news for my readers.
Freekeh-foods is allowing me to give away a package of freekeh in the flavor of your choice to one of my awesome readers. (US Residents only though :( )
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck to everyone, but if you don't win remember you can buy some in select stores or through their
website.
This review and giveaway was made possible by #SweatPink and Freekeh Foods. 2 packages of Freekeh was sent for my time and effort on this campaign.
