“Kasha boasts a wonderfully nutty flavor when toasted. You can buy it already toasted. If you buy the untoasted variety, toss it lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat until it colors. Hearty, but not too heavy, kasha is a staple of Northern Europe and Russia traditionally served as an accompaniment to meats, in pilafs or as the essential ingredient in many traditional Jewish dishes like kasha varnishkes. Exotic though it may sound, kasha is just basic buckwheat groats, used like a grain, but botanically just a cousin of true grains. Once only available through specialty grocers, you’ll find kasha in many health food stores and supermarkets now as well. So, by all means, go nuts with kasha!”

“Mung beans are small dried green beans with yellow flesh. Like all beans, they’re rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron, but they’re mainly grown for sprouting. Mung bean sprouts have long been a familiar ingredient in many Asian dishes. Traditional Chinese medicine maintains that mung beans have a “heat-clearing, toxin-resolving” effect that eases conditions such as diarrhea and painful swelling."

“Beets are a colorful source of anthocyanins, the purple pigments also found in blueberries, red grapes and red cabbage. They are powerful antioxidants and may help protect against cancer and heart disease. This dish brings to mind pickled beets with a grown-up slant. It keeps well in the refrigerator.”