Millet w/ Toasted Pecans and Currants

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Even though it was a short work week for me, I'm glad it's nearly done!  It's been crazy in office prepping for an upcoming photo shoot. 

Anyway, I'm finally posting a couple photos of my millet recipe.  If you're bored of couscous, quinoa or brown rice, give it a shot.  It's probably closer to the texture and bite of couscous or brown rice with a slightly nutty flavor.  The pecans add a nice crunch and the currants give it a hint of sweetness.

Millet with Toasted Pecans and Currants

-1 cup millet
-4 chopped scallions
-a large handful of toasted pecans
-a large handful of dried currants
-1 1/2  t. olive oil
-1 T. red wine vinegar
-3-4 basil leaves, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Boil 2 cups salted water.  Add millet to boiling water and bring to simmer.  Millet is done when it's soaked up by water.  While millet is cooking, toast pecans on cookie sheet in the middle rack for 7-8 minutes depending on your oven.  Let cool and chop into small pieces.  Chop scallions and basil leaves.  Once millet is done, add pecans, scallions, basil, currants and mix in olive oil and red wine vinegar.  Finish off with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve cold.  Serves about 4-6.

Greens and Grains

For 2012, my boyfriend and I are planning to eat more more vegetables and try to substitute them for meat in many meals.  Here's a perfect side dish that I easily created from items in my fridge/pantry one night.  It pairs well with seared tofu, tempeh, chicken, pork, or really any kind of meat.  And it's just as good alone.  I sort of threw it together so the measurements aren't exact but it's hard to mess it up.  Totally healthy, totally delicious.

Brown rice with chick peas, spinach and pine nuts

• about 2-3 cups of cooked brown rice
• half a bag of spinach, washed
• 1 t. chopped garlic
• 1 t. extra virgin olive oil.
• 1 small can of chick peas
• handful of pine nuts
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook brown rice and set aside.  I like to use Trader's Joe's frozen bags of brown rice.  Each bag only takes 3 minutes to cook.  Sauté spinach and garlic with olive oil in pan.  Drain and rinse can of chick peas.  Once the spinach is wilted, mix everything together in a bowl and sprinkle in pine nuts.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy.