millet by a landslide: broccoli, chickpea & millet salad

I love salads that are meals in their own right. And a salad that looks like springtime? Well, even better. Better because while the calendar says spring, the weather outside isn't co-operating. We have cherry blossoms but unfortunately, this week, we've had an attack of winter. Yesterday, we even had a brief hail storm! March came in like a lamb but is leaving with a lion's roar and I don't like it one bit.

But back to the springy salad. I made a stripped-down version of this salad from 101 Cookbooks a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Instead of quinoa, I used a new-to-me grain, millet. I wasn't sure I'd like the grain since while I like quinoa, I'm not mad about it. But there was no reason for me to be hesitant...because millet is the bomb. Way better than quinoa in my opinion and even Cornelius (who is a bonefide quinoa-hater) loved this salad too. Millet has a great texture and a really great flavour. This time around, I made the salad with broccoli and liked the results even better. It makes a great lunch and is quite simple to put together. The lemon-tahini dressing has a nice bite and helps to bind everything together in a nice flavourful package. So not only does this salad look pretty on a plate it tastes delicious too.


broccoli, chickpea & millet salad with tahini-lemon dressing
1 c millet
2 c water
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 red onion, finely diced
zest of 1 lemon
romaine lettuce leaves, torn or spring mix baby greens

dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T tahini
3 T olive oil
1 T hot water (more if necessary)
juice from 1 small lemon
salt & pepper

1. Toast millet in a small saucepan until it starts to crackle. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and let simmer until water evaporates.

2. Steam broccoli until bright green, drain and rinse under cold water. Add chickpeas, broccoli, red onion and millet into a large bowl and toss.

3. Make dressing by combining all ingredients, adding more hot water if necessary to get proper dressing consistency. Add half of dressing to millet mixture and blend.

4. Add a base of lettuce or baby greens on each serving plate and add a few large spoonfuls of the millet mixture over top. Drizzle with remaining dressing and add a sprinkling of lemon zest for colour.

i love leisure

Yesterday I had a busy day. Cornelius and I decided to ride our bikes to Pitt Meadows so that we could ride along the Fraser River trails. We saw a couple of bald eagles up close, 2 donkeys and a few cows grazing. It was a lovely day and we managed to ride more than 80km. You think after all that, we'd be ready to relax and put our feet up. Not so. Last night was the first night of our Tennis Leisure Club, and we rocked the balls & racquets super-fun-style! We played by our own rules, cuz that's how we roll! Major fun was had and I think all Leisure Club members are pleased to note that this will be a recurring Monday night event.

Today I had to play catch up with work and didn't want anything fussy to mess with when it came to my lunch. I also wanted a little comfort, after all, my muscles were a bit stiff after all that activity the day before, so I called my mom and requested her mixed bean salad recipe. When I was a kid, I was a very fussy eater (actually, some people would still say I am!) and I hated all kinds of beans. But somehow, this salad was one of my favorites. It was tangy with vinegar and had a touch of sweetness and lots of crunch. I modified the recipe because I like the taste of cider vinegar better than white vinegar, and I didn't have a can of yellow or lima beans, so I added some extra veggies and cut back on the amount of dressing a bit. I couldn't wait to eat this salad the next day, so I ate a bowl of it about an hour and it was delicious. I also know that this salad will taste even better tommorrow! This recipe makes a huge serving bowl full, so it's perfect for picnics and bbqs.

mixed bean salad
1 can of green beans
1 can of yellow wax beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of lima beans
1 can of chick peas
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 red onion, finely diced
1 c celery, diced
1/3 c cider vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c white sugar or honey
1 t paprika
salt & pepper

1. Drain and rinse all beans and combine in a large bowl. Add chopped vegetables.

2. Combine ingredients for the dressing and mix well. Pour over salad and marinate in refrigerator overnight.