Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Millet Salad
What is millet??
Millet is a whole grain that is packed with nutrients and protein. It is used often in China, South America, Africa, Eastern Europe and India but not so well known in the northwest. There are many varieties that it grows but the most common you will see is hulled pearl millet. It is hulled to remove the indigestible coating for human consumption and make it much easier to cook with. It is an easy to prepare grain like quinoa and can be used in hot or cold dishes, sweet or savoury or used whole or ground into a flour. It is a gluten free grain and it known to be a very low allergenic grain for those with issues consuming many grains (like gluten). Millet is packed with protein, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, B-vitamins, fibre and lignin. For this reason it is perfect for vegetarians who are commonly deficient in protein, iron and zinc. Additionally, for those with high cholesterol as fibre and lignin bind excess cholesterol and remove it during elimination. Lignin also binds bile acids for excretion which protects against gallstones. Also, millet is an alkalizing grain, unlike most grains which is appealing to most people consuming the highly acidic Standard American Diet.
It is super easy to prepare and that I why I love to use it hot and cold. Since it is a whole grain I like to soak mine and rinse fully to remove any phytic acid. Phytic acid is in grains, nuts and legumes and is hard on the digestive tract. It binds to minerals disallowing them to be absorbed as well. Soaking and rinsing removes this phytic acid and unlocks nutrients like enzymes and makes the cooking time quicker. Soak overnight or for at least 7 hours for the best benefits and add 1 tsp-1 tbsp acidic medium like apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, whey or coconut kefir. This acidity helps to breakdown the anti nutrients and release any phytic acid we want to get rid of. It is possible to sprout millet for even more nutrition and ease on digestion. The standard cook time for hulled millet is 30 minutes if you do not soak it and only about 15 if you do soak it. Note that you will be adding less water to the rehydrated millet. For dry millet it is generally 2 : 1 water to grains, for pre-soaked, use 1.5 : 1. Thus ratio will create a light and fluffy grain that can be mixed into salads, used in stir fries or with curry instead of rice. If you prefer a more dense millet or would like to make more of a polenta or porridge, add more water for cooking but it will not work for this recipe.
The following recipe is a great salad to eat cold on a summer day or to being to a potluck in place of pasta salad. It is packed with veggies, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil for a hearty side. This is an easy way to eat your greens and get in essential fatty acids because it is hard to stop eating once you dig in!
Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Millet Salad
Prepare the millet:
Ingredients
1 cup of organic hulled millet
1½ cups water or bone broth
1 pinch of salt
Soak the millet in 2 cups of water with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or other acidic medium) for 7 hours or overnight. Rinse well and place in a pot
Add water or bone broth to the pot with millet and bring to a boil with out the lid on
Let simmer for 10 minutes then place the lid on the pot and turn the heat off. Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the remaining liquid.
Fluff with a fork and let cool.
Prepare the salad
Ingredients
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
¼ cup olives (I like kalamata)
½ small purple onion - diced
¾ cup cucumber - diced
½ cup bell pepper - diced
2 cups spinach - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
3 cups millet - cooked and cooled
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (can use from the sun-dried tomatoes for more flavour!)
2 tbsp lemon juice - fresh squeezed if possible
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
3 tsp dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, chives) - use fresh if you have them!
Add everything to a large bowl and toss. Add more seasonings to taste and serve immediately or let it sit and marinate in goodness.
Optional: add feta , goat cheese or parmesan to add some kick.
