Sunny Seeds Nutrition

I recently attended the Today’s Dietitian Spring Symposium and was re-introduced to an ingredient I hadn’t heard about since my graduate school days – sorghum (back then, a scientist was using my lab to make beer from sorghum!) Of course, today, I’ll focus on using sorghum within a food context. I’ll discuss sorghum’s health benefits in my Nutrition Highlight below, after the recipe, but for now you should know it can be used in a variety of recipe contexts (breakfast, soups, salads, side dishes, main dishes, desserts). Also, sorghum just happens to be The Whole Grains Council’s grain of the month for June! Naturally, I wouldn’t be talking about it here unless you can also cook it using the Instant Pot® (IP)! Today’s recipe is for an easy, well-rounded salad that my family enjoys as a Weekday Vegetarian meal.

Instant Pot® Greek sorghum and chickpea salad
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

1 cup dry whole grain sorghum
24 fluid ounces water
1 teaspoon salt
1 dry pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 small English cucumber, diced
1 cup chickpeas
1 medium lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Place sorghum, water and salt into the IP and set for 25 minutes on the Multigrain setting. Once the cook cycle is done, perform a 10 minute natural release and then release the remainder of the pressure and turn the IP off completely. Drain to remove any excess water. (IMPORTANT: COOKING SORGHUM CAN BE DONE AHEAD OF TIME, AS SORGHUM REFRIGERATES [3 DAYS] AND FREEZES WELL)
2. Once the sorghum is cooled, add in the tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix all together.
3. Add in the feta and mix to incorporate.

This salad is so well-rounded, that we often do not eat anything on the side, although slices of avocado and/or some roasted asparagus or sweet potato would definitely do the trick.

And now, let’s get to the Nutrition Highlight for today!

SORGHUM

Sorghum contains:
Fiber: improves digestion and/or decreases blood cholesterol
Iron: used to make hemoglobin and myoglobin which are critical for oxygen transport throughout the body; also required for many hormones and the structure of our connective tissue
Magnesium: helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and is involved in bone, DNA and protein synthesis
Niacin: aids in the generation of energy from food and supports healthy skin, nerves and digestive system
Phosphorus: critical part of cell membranes, DNA & RNA, important in bone-mineralization, energy production, cell-signaling and body acid/base balance
Protein: building blocks for blood, bone, cartilage, enzymes, hormones, muscle and skin
Vitamin B6: necessary for many metabolic enzymes in addition to brain and immune function

So, that’s all for now. Please feel free to ask questions about my experience with the IP, Weekday Vegetarianism, sorghum, general nutrition or whatever! See you next time!

References:
1. http://www.simplysorghum.com/nutrition/
2. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/
3. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-Consumer/
4. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002409.htm
5. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/phosphorus
6. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/protein-foods-nutrients-health
7. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-Consumer/

Disclaimer:
Any content you find on Sunny Seeds Nutrition Blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition.