Wheat Berry "Salad"

Stephen literally squeals with delight when I make this recipe for him. It really is worth getting the fresh ingredients, goat cheese, and coriander. And a little goes a long way, the wheat berries are VERY filling. 


Calories: 240
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked red wheat berries/hard winter wheat (You can get this at a natural foods store - it is quite inexpensive! See picture below.) 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons shelled pistachios 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (To go fresh, which I recommend, you will only need 1 lemon.) 
• 2 teaspoons honey 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (This was in my spice rack but it needed to be ground, so you might check yours and make sure you have a method of grinding it before you begin.) 
• 1/2 teaspoon grated, peeled fresh ginger (Look towards the bottom of the bin for a teeny piece of ginger so you don't have lots of extra.) 
• 1/2 cup golden raisins 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 
• Crumbled goat cheese (This comes in a small tub at Wal-Mart, the remaining cheese is good on salads and pizzas.)

Preparation 

1. Place the wheat berries, 1/2 teaspoon salt in saucepan. Cover the berries with plenty of water, as if cooking pasta. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Drain. 
2. Place the pistachios on a cookie sheet and bake for 6 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Stir halfway through. Allow to cool, and chop. 
3. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, honey, coriander, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl. 
4. Chop the green onions and cilantro. 
5. When wheat berries are done and have been drained, add them and the raisins to the mixing bowl. Combine. Cool to room temperature. 
6. Add nuts, green onions, and cilantro. 
7. Sprinkle with goat cheese just before serving. If you intend to refrigerate part of the salad, wait until serving to add cheese. Reheats well in the microwave.