BROL DAYS

We had BROL days here at Sage and Plow over the weekend and it was a packed couple of classes! Alice and Chrisann were so passionate, fun, and engaging in teaching us about their favorite food, BROL. 

So what is BROL? It stands for (Barley, Rye, Oats, and Lentils); or their Gluten Free version (Buckwheat, Rice, Oats, and Lentils). It is a whole grain + bean mix making it a complete protein “POWER food” that tastes so good served in just about every way you can think. (More on that in a second though.) 

First off Alice and Chrisann taught us the amazing benefits of BROL. In our digestive tract there is a whopping amount of important and beneficial digesting bacteria, so many microbes in fact (up to 5lbs) that it is sometimes called another organ. “And BROL is their favorite food!” said Alice, these little bacteria are able to break down and release from whole grains the complex carbohydrates and other nutrients that fill us up, regulate our blood sugar, and keep us feeling full longer. That and replacing simple carbs and sugars found in most processed foods with these complex carbs and fiber from whole grains will support natural cells and starve out cancer cells in the body. That and it tastes so good!

Alice and Chrisann have made preparing and eating BROL so fun and easy. The first thing to do, they said, is to make up a big batch by cooking it 2 parts water to 1 part BROL. They typically make a plain version and a “savory version” with added onions, celery, and bouillon. They cook it in a pressure cooker but they say that’s just their preference. You can cook it on the stove top. You can soak it overnight (rinse and then reduce the water for cooking in that case), crockpot it, just whatever works for you.

Next is the magic step. They pack it into muffin tins, flash freeze it, and then bag it. Now you have individual little servings of BROL that you can easily pull out of your freezer to add to whatever it is you are making! Because, as they said, “if it’s easy, we’re more likely to use it.” They love to put frozen BROL cakes into soup; they warm it up and pair it with yogurt, fruit, and a little syrup for breakfast cereal; or they mix it with whatever veggies are in season for a summer salad or a winter squash casserole. BROL also has a great substitute texture for ground beef, and a neutral flavor so it can be seasoned any way you want: they made both Taco Filling and Sloppy Joe mix for us to try. We were all full to the brim by the end of class with leftovers to spare. It’s true that a little BROL goes a long way. 

Which brings us to our favorite point that they shared: BROL is a perfect food storage item! You can cook it, or use it as a sprouting mix for living phytonutrients, or both. A small amount of it is filling and satisfying and it is also extremely shelf stable and can be used and rotated easily or stored for years! Even with the brown rice in the Gluten Free version, there were some questions about it going rancid. But Alice and Chrisann were able to share one of our favorite lesser known tricks: rinsing brown rice with very hot water before cooking will wash the rancid surface oils right off, making it like new. Another class attendee also told about using water and a little baking soda for the same results. 

It was so fun to learn some of the many and exciting ways to use this product. Alice and Chrisann did such a good job showing us how easy it can be to add healthy whole grains to our diet in so many delicious ways. It’s no surprise that our entire stock sold out that day! No worries, we’ll be restocking soon. So come give BROL a try!