Recipes: Whole Grains

Recipe of the Month: Mashed Millet & Cauliflower

Note: this piece first appeared in the September 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

This warm, comforting mixture is a delicious change of pace from mashed potatoes. Serve with a vegetarian mushroom gravy for a health-supportive update of a classic favorite!

Serves 2

1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup millet, rinsed
1 cup water
1 cup chopped cauliflower
pinch sea salt

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add millet and toast slightly. Add cauliflower, salt, and water. Cover pot and cook until grain has absorbed all the water, about 10 to 20 minutes. When the millet is done, mash the mixture together with a potato masher. Add a little water if necessary in order to get a smooth consistency.

Step-By-Step: Thai Quinoa

For written instructions, see the original post: Thai-Style Coconut Quinoa

Start with quinoa, a delicious and nutritious whole grain available in natural food stores. Measure out 1/2 cup. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer.

quinoa

The next step, toasting, is optional; it helps to bring out quinoa’s nutty flavor. Simply place the rinsed quinoa in a dry skillet and stir until the quinoa is golden and fragrant. Set the dry-roasted quinoa aside.

quinoatoast

Next, you’ll need some coconut milk. This is available in cans in the Asian/macrobiotic section of the natural foods store. Be sure to get full-fat coconut milk. (“Reduced fat” coconut milk is actually just regular coconut milk with water added; you can add your own water and save your money if you want to cut back on the fat!)

coconut-milk

Place 1/3 cup water and 2/3 cup coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

cocowater

Add the toasted quinoa, 2 cloves of minced or pressed garlic, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a pinch of sea salt (or more to taste).

addstuff

Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

boiling

Meanwhile, you can chop your red bell pepper. You want about 1/4 cup diced pepper.

pepperchop

After the quinoa has absorbed the liquid, add the bell pepper to the saucepan, along with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil has quite a strong flavor; you may like this dish with just 1 teaspoon. Cover the pan, turn off or remove from heat, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

addmorestuff

Serve and enjoy!

thaiquinoa

Recipe of the Month: Quinoa Tabbouleh

Note: this piece first appeared in the May 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Serves 2 to 3

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup sliced or chopped cucumber
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh scallion
chopped fresh mint and parsley to taste (tabbouleh traditionally uses a LOT of parsley and mint!)
juice of 2 lemons
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste

Combine the quinoa, cucumber, red onion, scallion, and herbs in a serving bowl and set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Chill before serving.

Thai-Style Coconut Quinoa

Note: this piece first appeared as the May 2006 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 2 to 3

This light and flavorful side dish with a hint of exotic spice is the perfect addition to a light, vegetable-based spring entrée. Cooking quinoa, a celebrated spring whole grain choice, with coconut milk and garlic infuses it with flavor, and toasted sesame oil finishes the dish beautifully.

1/2 cup quinoa
1/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash of cayenne pepper
sea salt to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. If desired, dry-roast the grain until fragrant, then set aside.

Combine the coconut milk and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring back to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in red pepper and sesame oil. Cover. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes, stir, and serve.

See step-by-step photos of this dish!

Thai-Style Coconut Quinoa

Spiced Millet with Tamari Almonds

Note: this piece first appeared as the January 2006 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 2

This is a wonderful way to have yummy, comforting, alkalizing millet in the colder months. I adore the combination of cumin and tamari almonds (available in the bulk or snack section of natural foods stores). You can also substitute raw almonds, sunflower seeds, or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for the tamari almonds with delicious results. A little freshly grated ginger added to the pot with the millet and water is a nice addition, too!

1/2 cup millet, rinsed
1 cup water
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons chopped tamari almonds
sea salt to taste

Combine millet and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until millet has absorbed all the water. Fluff millet with a fork and transfer to serving dish.

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the millet and stir in cumin, almonds, and sea salt to taste. Serve warm!

See step-by-step photos of this dish!

Spiced Millet with Tamari Almonds

Step-By-Step: Spiced Millet with Tamari Almonds

For written instructions, see the original post: Spiced Millet with Tamari Almonds

Start with 1/2 cup millet. Millet is a wonderful whole grain you can find in natural foods stores.

millet1

Rinse your millet in a fine-mesh strainer. Millet is a very small grain, so I double up on my strainers to make sure I don’t lose any grains when I rinse!

millet_rinse_strain

Combine your rinsed millet with 1 cup water in a small saucepan over high heat.

millet_pan

When the mixture comes to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook on low for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the millet has absorbed all the water.

millet_boil_cover

When the millet is done, fluff it with a fork (scrape the fork across the top of the grains). Transfer to a serving dish.

millet_cooked_fork

Add 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt to taste, and about 2 tablespoons chopped tamari almonds. You can buy prepared tamari almonds in the bulk section or in the nuts/snacks section of your health food store. Alternatively, you can use raw or plain toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds! All are scrumptious in this dish.

millet_add_tamari

Serve warm and enjoy!

millet_final

Orange & Walnut Quinoa

Note: this piece first appeared in the September 2005 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
zest of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Allow to dry, then add to a cooking pot on medium-high heat. Dry-roast the grains until they are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add broth and oil to the pot and combine with the quinoa. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat. Cook on low heat until water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and add orange zest, parsley, and toasted walnuts.

Millet Tofu Patties

Note: this piece first appeared as the September 2005 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 4 to 6

Millet is a terrific choice for whole-grain newbies or anyone looking for an alternative to brown rice. It’s tasty, it has a great nutritional profile (very high in protein, fiber, and minerals), and unlike other grains, it’s alkalizing in the body. This recipe features millet, tofu, and mustard greens in delicious patty form. Substitute beet greens if you can’t find or don’t care for mustard greens.

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup millet, rinsed
3 cups boiling water or vegetable stock
1/2 pound firm water-packed tofu, drained and crumbled
1 cup chopped mustard greens
1 tablespoon tamari (natural soy sauce)
dash of cayenne pepper

Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in millet and cook until millet is lightly colored. Pour boiling water or stock over millet (stand back to avoid splattering oil), cover pot, lower heat, and cook on medium-low for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Allow millet to cool briefly.

Combine cooked millet, tofu, mustard greens, tamari, and cayenne in a blender or food processor. Process until desired consistency is reached. Spread mixture about 2/3-inch think on a baking sheet and chill thoroughly.

When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Cut mixture into 8 flat cakes. Broil on each side until golden brown.

ForkBytes

Grab life by the fork

Recipe of the Month: Mashed Millet & Cauliflower

Step-By-Step: Thai Quinoa

Recipe of the Month: Quinoa Tabbouleh

Thai-Style Coconut Quinoa

Spiced Millet with Tamari Almonds

Step-By-Step: Spiced Millet with Tamari Almonds

Orange & Walnut Quinoa

Millet Tofu Patties

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