Gluten-Free Millet Salad with Asian Flavors

Necessity is the mother of invention. So are leftovers.

A thorough inventory of our seemingly-full fridge revealed lots of bits and pieces of vegetables. A box of cremini mushrooms, a dozen or so brussels sprouts starting to go brown, and a handful of cherry tomatoes were among the items needing to be used quickly, and I couldn't really think of a dish that would use all of them successfully. Maybe something with pasta, but that seemed too easy.

Up for a challenge, I decided to also use up some of the ancient grains I had recently purchased for experimental purposes. There were full or partial bags of amaranth, multicolored quinoa, and millet in the cupboard, and since I was feeling in an Asian food mood, I went with the millet. While one normally associates Asia with rice, millet is also an important food crop on that continent.

I threw together a peanut sauce with ingredients we usually have on hand, cooked the sprouts and shrooms, and tossed them with some cooked millet. It made a nice accompaniment to some oven-baked chicken, and lots of leftovers for lunches.

Millet Salad with Asian Flavors

1 cup millet
2 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon Chinese broad bean paste (doubanjiang)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece of fresh ginger, grated
Veg of your choice (I used 8 ounces of sauteed sliced mushrooms, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes, and 12 brussels sprouts, trimmed, cut into quarters, and sauteed until soft, but you can use anything you wish, from sugar snap peas to jarred red bell pepper pieces)
3 scallions, chopped
Handful cilantro, chopped
Roasted peanuts for garnish

Place millet and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover pot and let simmer 10-15 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Fluff millet with a fork and pour into a bowl to cool.

Combine next eight sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to blend. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen to a mayonnaise-like consistency.

Once millet is cool, stir in sauce, tossing to coat every grain of millet. Stir in your veggies of choice. Garnish with chopped scallions, cilantro, and peanuts.

Serves 8.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Millet

Ages ago, I used to work with a woman whose last name was Millet. One of my managees at the bookstore, she was fun, enthusiastic, and loyal - she quit when I did. We used to mispronounce her name on purpose, but it's been so many years, I can't remember if her name is "mil-LAY" and we called her "MILL-it," or vice versa. In any case, I found her on Facebook and sent her both a message and a friend request. She hasn't responded to either.

Maybe because I used to mispronounce her name on purpose. :(

In any case, the millet that is the real subject of this post is a grain. One of the oldest known to man, and a diet staple for much of the world. And until recently, it had never passed my lips. Millet isn't often found on restaurant menus in the US, which is a shame, because it's both versatile and tasty. It's actually quite reminiscent of couscous, only it takes longer to cook. Plus, it's a whole grain, so its more nutritious than couscous.

For my first millet experiment, I played with another recipe from The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains. Basically I used the method and most of the ingredients, but I changed up the seasoning to work better with the chicken molé I was making for dinner that night. The original recipe was for African millet salad with corn and peppers, but instead of using paprika and allspice, I used cumin. I also substituted lime juice for the lemon juice, and instead of adding tomatoes, a teaspoon of tomato paste went into the dressing.

The result was ok. Somewhat bland, albeit lime-y. But much much MUCH tastier than buckwheat. It definitely was like couscous, so the next time I use it, I might leave it fairly plain and serve it hot with a sauce-y main dish.

Any suggestions? Also, anyone know what I should do with the box of freekah I bought at Whole Foods the other day?

Posted on Minxeats.com.