Montana Wheat Berry Chili

What's a Wheat Berry?

I had never heard of them either until we got some from Montana for Christmas last year. The package has a recipe on the back, but the wheat berries required "hydrating" and to be fair with myself, that sounded complicated. I must confess that I haven't made them before tonight because I couldn't imagine anything that I could do to this barley-looking grain to turn it into a "berry". So, I put them away in the cupboard for braver days.

Well, there is no time to be braver with cooking than when I am studying for exams. This is my time of year when even cleaning out my closet seems like a fun activity that must happen before any studying can possibly take place. With the excitement of a new blog to share my experience with this mystical "berry", I reached for the bag.

Alright, I can do this. And you can too! I changed the recipe on the back of the package and the results smell delicious.

Montana Wheat Berry Chili

1 cup dried wheat berries (you can buy these in bulk at most stores)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 package "smart ground" vegetarian crumbles
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can vegetable broth (or water)
1 can kidney beans (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans of your choice)
2-3 diced fresh peppers - I used red and yellow
Chili powder, Oregano and cumin to taste

Directions:

In the morning (or night before):
1. Hydrate the wheat berries. (I set 1 cup of dried wheat berries in the slow cooker on low in the morning with 4 cups of water. I was ready to use them about 8 hours later and they turned out great!)



At dinner time:
1. Saute the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the "smart ground" and cook for 2 more minutes
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, kidney beans and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the fresh peppers and cook for 10 more minutes. (You could add these earlier, but I like them a little crisp)



This turned out so delicious that I can't wait to have it as leftovers tomorrow!

After we were done eating there was even time to play feather-on-a-stick, one of Zoey's favorite games.