Provencal Portobello-Avocado Sandwiches

You'll need:  Chickpea hummus, portobello mushroom caps, avocado, spelt and hemp seed bread, arugula sprouts, garlic, green onions, fresh basil, dried oregano, thyme, summer savory, rosemary and fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, sea salt, lemon juice, tamari sauce, agave syrup
The Provencal Mushroom Marinade: 
In a small bowl, whisk 2 T olive oil with 1 t lemon juice, 1 t tamari sauce and 1 t agave syrup.  Add 1 clove of garlic, minced, 2 diced greens onions, 1/4 t. fennel seed (lightly crushed) and 1/2 t of each of the dried herbs. Place portobello mushroom caps in the marinade and toss to coat.  Allow the mushrooms to marinade for at least an hour or until savory.  (They can be marinaded, covered in the fridge overnight for maximum flavor)  Before assembling sandwiches, grill and set aside to cool, then slice across cap.
The Avocado: Cut, pit, and peel avocado.  Cut the fruit into medium-thick slices and sprinkle with lemon juice, 1/4 t dried summer savory, rosemary, thyme, sea salt and cayenne pepper.

To Assemble:  Thinly slice the spelt-hemp seed bread, and spread with hummus.  Arrange avocado slices on top, and mash lightly into hummus with the back of a fork.  Press portobello slices into avocado. Dust each sandwich with a generous pinch of arugula sprouts, and finely chopped  fresh basil. Enjoy these flavorful sandwiches as a savory snack, or team them up with soup for a satisfying lunch lunch.

A Pair of Pears

An avocado pear sliced and filled with lemony Bartlett pear and arugula sprouts is an easy appetizer or a satisfying accompaniment to a sandwich.  Busy days, it makes a nice, light lunch.  Sprouted pumpkin seeds boost the protein content and add a nice 'crunch'.
You'll need: avocado, pear, lemon, olive oil, agave syrup, arugula sprouts, soaked and sprouted  pumpkin seeds, dried thyme, oregano and summer savory.

The Avocado: Cut the avocado in half and remove pit.  An easy way to do this is to press the blade of a large knife firmly but gently into the pit, and twist.  The pit will pop out cleanly. Sprinkle the halves with a little lemon juice.

The Pear Salad:  In a small bowl, whisk 1 T. olive oil, and 2 t. lemon juice together until creamy. Stir in 1/2 t agave, 2 T pumpkin seeds, and 1/4 t. dried oregano, 1/4 t. dried thyme and a pinch of summer savory.  Core and dice the Bartlet pear into bite size pieces, and add to lemon dressing.  Mix well to coat pear.  Add in 2 T. arugula sprouts.  Spoon salad into avocado halves and serve.

A Simple yet Elegant Dish: '5 Spice' Pineapple and Sweet Millet

A flavorful marriage of fresh fruit and grain.  The juicy fresh pineapple is sprinkled with '5 Spice' powder, and served with a slightly sweetened millet.  The grain is cooked in coconut milk, topped with a swirl of agave and a daring dash of cayenne pepper.  The combination makes a tasty, filling but light meal, or sophisticated dessert.  The flavors are an intriguing partnership, and a delight on the tongue.  As well, the ingredients benefit the body, especially the digestive system.  Millet is easily assimilated by the stomach, and pineapple is particularly rich in bromelain, an enzyme that digests protein. 

 

A. Gillert, photo                Sweet Coconut Millet       

The Millet
You'll need: millet, coconut milk, coconut butter, agave syrup, cayenne pepper, and coriander powder.  Soak (and sprout if desired) 1 C. millet.  Combine millet with 1/2 C. coconut milk and 2 C. water, and steam until soft. In a serving bowl, combine 2 T. coconut butter with 2 t. agave.  Add millet, and mix gently to coat millet. Drizzle grain with a swirl of agave syrup, and sprinkle generously with cardamom powder, a touch of Himalayan salt, and cayenne pepper to taste.



The Pineapple
You'll need: fresh pineapple,
Asian '5 Spice' Powder

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A. Gillert, photo  Fresh Pineapple with Asian 5 Spice Powder

Twist the green leaves off from the top of pineapple.  Cut the fruit in quarters, lengthwise.  Core and peel. Dice the pineapple into bite-size pieces.  Sprinkle with 2 t. Asian '5 Spice' Powder. To Serve: Place a portion of sweetened millet in a dessert dish, and top with '5 Spice' Pineapple pieces. An unbelievably exotic  combination with a very sophisticated flavor.

A Grain for the Tasting: 10 Minute Millet

Millet goes in and out of favor, according to those who write of agriculture and food production.  My first introduction to millet was a tin pan half filled with the seed an African friend was carrying to feed his chickens.  His wife, he told me, also brewed the same millet into a good beer.  If you Google "millet" you'll find a store-house of information.  The grain was likely cultivated in Stone Age around the lakes of Switzerland.   Mesopotamia grew it around 3000 BCE, as did Chinese farmers of the same era.  The spread of the Roman Empire facilitated its cultivation far beyond the Fertile Valley where it sprung from. People who ate millet as a staple were healthy.  Millet is good for you, no doubt about it, with various vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, and fiber. (Google it's nutritional profile to see wholesome components, especially silicon which benefits bone and connective tissue) Also millet's an alkaline grain, gluten-free, rich in amino acids and protein. Soaking and sprouting the grain increases both the protein content (by about 10%) and the profile of certain amino acids also increases.  In addition, soaking reduces the cooking time to about 10 minutes, making millet a candidate for a quick nutritional and flavor boost to any meal. Special diets often include millet since it soothes a weak or irritated digestive system, especially the stomach. It is also said to have amazing anti-fungal properties. With an ability to take on different textures depending on the length of cooking, the tiny millet grain creates the base for many dishes.

Millet soaking before cooking

 A Beautiful Bowl of Millet:
Measure 1 C. millet, and rinse well.  Cover with twice its depth of water. Soak for 4 hours, drain and rinse well. To sprout: (millet will swell in size and protein increase, but because it has been hulled will not produce sprout/tail) Put in covered container in fridge overnight. To cook:  (In a steamer)  Cover millet with fresh water and steam until done, about 10 minutes. If using stove top, place in pot with 2.5 C. boiling water. Reduce heat as with rice.

A beautifully cooked bowl of millet garnished with thyme and oregano

Darn Good Dips

1. Hummus, Zucchini, Tomato, & Pear Dip

  2. Baba Ganoush-Butternut Squash Dip

These easy Middle Eastern inspired dips go well with chips, raw veggies, or crusty bread, and crackers.  They make a light movie-night supper, or hearty afternoon snack.  To make these dips, either have on hand home made baba ganoush and hummus, or find a tasty variety at a local whole foods store, or specialty shop.  Dip 1. You'll need: zucchini, tomato, pear, lemon juice, agave syrup, olive oil, salt, Italian-style herbs, hummus, cumin, coriander powder.  Finely chop crisp zucchini, tomato, and firm pear to make 1 C.  Top with 1 t. Italian-style herbs (thyme, oregano, savory) and lightly dust with few grains of Himalayan salt.  In a serving bowl, combine 2 T. olive oil, 1 T. fresh lemon juice, 1.2 t. agave syrup.  Whisk well, and then blend in 1 C hummus. Fold 1 C. finely chopped vegetables into the dip. Sprinkle generously with coriander & cumin powder.  Dip 2. You'll need: baba ganoush, cooked and cooled butternut squash, olive oil, lemon juice,  allspice, arugula micro-greens (or sprouts, shredded spinach) chipotle chili powder.  In a serving bowl,  whisk 1 t.  fresh lemon juice, 2. T. olive oil, 1/4 t. allspice.  Add butternut squash to bowl, blending well.  Mix in 1 C. baba ganoush.  Fold in  1/2 C. arugula micro-greens, sprouts, or finely shredded spinach  Dust with spicy chipotle chili powder.

Baba Ganoush, Pear and Quinoa Salad

This smooth salad has the slightly smokey flavor of roasted eggplant in its creamy baba ganoush-based dressing.  Sprouted ivory quinoa, diced ripe pear, pumpkin seeds, and savory kale chips make this treat a high-energy, great tasting side salad or light main dish.

A. Gillert, Photo Baba Ganoush, Pear and Sprouted Ivory Quinoa Salad

 

You'll need: baba ganoush (roasted eggplant dip), olive oil, lemon juice, agave, ginger root, quinoa,  pear, sprouted pumpkin seeds, miso-tamari flavored kale chips
The Dressing:  In a large bowl, combine 1/2 C. baba ganoush, 2 T. olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp. agave syrup and blend well.
The Salad:  To make sprouted quinoa, 1 day before making salad, soak 1 C. ivory quinoa in pure water for 2 hours.  Drain and rinse well.  Place in covered container and allow to sprout overnight in fridge.  Rinse again before using.  Chop pear into bite-size pieces.  Finely dice fresh ginger root to taste.  Cut kale chips into small mouth-friendly square.  Add pear, ginger, quinoa, and sprouted pumpkin seeds (use same procedure as quinoa to sprout) to dressing and blend well to coat everything with the eggplant mixture.  Gently fold in kale chips.
To Serve: Spoon the salad onto a small plate, adding a slice of fresh bread, and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.  A treat for the palate.

Six Succulent Squash #6: Millet-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Rice and Spicy Thai Red Curry

A. Gillert, photo

The last of the series of squash dishes: A flavorful green acorn variety stuffed with an Asian influenced millet mixture.  It makes a perfect starter for a 'rice bowl' meal of steamed grain with a prepared Thai soup of eggplant, bamboo shoots, pineapple, baby corn, red pepper, coconut milk, and curry.

Millet-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Rice and Spicy Thai Red Curry 

You'll need: acorn squash, lemon juice, millet, miso, chives. ginger root, garlic, coconut butter, ground flax seeds, rice, teff, Asian 5 spice powder, black and white sesame seeds, Thai Red Curry Soup
The Squash: Cut acorn squash in half, remove seeds and strings.  Splash with fresh lemon juice and stuff with Millet-Miso mixture. Steam until squash is fork-tender.  Before serving, pour 1 T. red curry soup over each squash and cover with black and white sesame seeds.
Millet-Miso Mixture:  Blend 1 T. coconut butter, and 1 T. light miso with 1 T. ground flax seed, 1 T. sesame seed paste. Add chopped chives, ginger root and garlic to taste. Stir in soaked millet and combine well.
The Rice: Steam 3/4 C. brown rice, adding 1/4 C. teff seeds during the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Place 2 T. coconut butter, 1 T. light miso, and 1/4 t. Asian 5 Spice Powder in a serving bowl. Stir in cooked rice and teff mixture.
The Soup:  This lovely Spicy Thai Red Curry Soup, a flavorful topping for the grains, is found in the Asian Food section of a local grocery.