Wheat Berry Salad with Golden Raisins, Pistachios, and Goat Cheese

It worries me when I make a recipe that claims to serve six (or sometimes more) and I manage to finish it off all by myself. Or Dustin and I share a dish and then the leftovers disappear before he can get to them the next day. Am I really that gluttonous? (Admittedly, there are certain foods I'm prone to overeating. Like cinnamon rolls. I eat them by the panful.) But in general, I'm not a heavy eater. So instead of letting faceless recipe creators make me feel insecure about my food consumption, I've decided to take a healthy approach and not believe them. Six servings? Ha! What nonsense!

In the case of this salad, I did share. A little. Dustin (the raisin and cilantro-phobe) quite enjoyed it. I found it irresistible. The wheat berries are pleasantly chewy, the dressing fresh and sweet, the goat cheese soft and creamy. According to Cooking Light it serves six. You might be able to stretch it to feed four. But not if I'm invited to dinner.

Wheat Berry Salad with Golden Raisins, Pistachios, and Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked wheat berries
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. shelled unsalted pistachios
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup (2 oz.) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Place wheat berries and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to 2 inches above wheat berries, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Drain.

3. Place pistachios on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, stirring once. Cool slightly, and chop.

4. Combine olive oil, juice, honey, coriander, and ginger in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add hot wheat berries and raisins; stir well to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.

5. Add nuts, green onions, and cilantro to wheat berry mixture. Toss to coat in the dressing and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)