These recipes featuring steel-cut oats and wheat berries are delicious, creative ways to enjoy two healthy whole grains. All ingredients are easily found in most markets and do not require advanced technical skills.

Try the recipes:

• Coconut-Scented Steel-Cut Oats with Tropical Fruit Salad
• Mediterranean Wheat Berry and Salmon Salad

Steel-cut oats are not as popular as they should be. My recipe for Coconut-Scented Steel-Cut Oats with Tropical Fruit Salad will allow you to enjoy oats in a new way, using tropical flavors and textures not normally associated with oats. Steel-cut oats are very nutritious and have an incredible texture and taste, which is best described as “nutty” and is more intense in flavor than traditional rolled oats. The longer cooking time is an investment in flavor and texture and is well worth it.

Wheat berries deserve to be much better known. There are two main varieties grown in this country: white and red wheat. The red wheat is a winter crop and my preferred choice. This grain takes some time to cook but is packed with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, making it a very healthy choice for savory and sweet dishes.

In addition to using it in Mediterranean Wheat Berry and Salmon Salad, red winter wheat can be used to make a delicious, hearty, hot breakfast cereal, similar to oatmeal. It can also be used in other savory dishes such as stuffing. Whether savory or sweet, hard red wheat berries are a fabulous ingredient, one I hope you discover and use often.