Kasha

Kasha, aka buckwheat, has so far starred as my main course in four meals this week. Featured at the tables of Jewish European grandmothers like mine, this "grain" is actually a nutritious fruit seed. It's nutty in flavor, especially when browned in the pan before it's cooked, packed with flavonoids (antioxidants which also protect against high cholesterol and heart disease), magnesium (good for the cardiovascular system and also to ward of migraines), fiber and contains all eight essential amino acids. It also provokes a very low blood glucose and insulin response, and there's evidence it is helpful in managing diabetes.

I prepare it with whole wheat bow tie noodles because that's how it has always been served to me. The whole thing can be prepared in the time it takes for the water to boil and pasta to cool. The recipe: Brown kasha in a saucepan on high heat, stirring continually until it smells... browned. Boil water (twice the volume of dry kasha you've used) and pour it into the saucepan. Lower the heat so you've got it at a low simmer and cover. In 10-12 minutes, it should all be absorbed. Then, throw in the cooked, drained bow ties, stir it up, salt to taste.

No other dish makes me feel simultaneously like an athlete and my grandmother.