I get more and more requests for gluten free and vegan dishes, and yes sometimes I like to feature recipes like this one that are unusual still with a little Mediterranean flair. This taboule salad is both gluten free and vegan, light and flavorful. I have to admit that I have not extensively used millet, but will do so form now on, since it’s a versatile and nutritious little grain. There are a few recipes with millet on my blog, and these ones are my all times favorite, goat cheese, mushrooms and millet galettes on leek effilochéée and Quinoa galettes, with bell peppers, mushrooms and mint

Of course millet is known to be a bird’s favorite, so some people feel weird to eat something birds do, but it’s nonetheless delicious on our human table as well, mixed with vegetables, in galettes or in soups. I like its firm texture and unusual flavor. You can substitute millet with quinoa, Israeli couscous, couscous, or any other grain you like in this recipe, if millet is not among your favorite, but i also want to make people more familiar with this grain that has a lot of nutritional benefits.

I usually steam millet in my rice cooker like I would steam rice, or you can boil it as well.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 280 g millet
• 3 zucchini, sliced crosswise
• 1 cup cooked chick peas
• 1 tbs mint, chopped
• 1 tbs cilantro chopped

For the dressing

• 3 tbs fruity olive oil
• juice of 1 Meyer lemon
• 1/2 tsp hot curry powder
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Steam millet in rice cooker or boil in salted water until millet is cooked, about 30 minutes. Grill zucchini slices in a skillet, then cut in half and set aside. When millet is cooked, place in a mixing container and let cool until it gets lukewarm. Mix chickpeas and zucchini with millet. In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients, pour on millet and toss well. Add chopped mint and cilantro, mix well, adjust salt if needed, add fresh cracked pepper and serve as a side dish or a salad as an appetizer.

]]> http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2012/12/like-birdie-spicy-millet-taboule-with-chick-peas-and-grilled-zucchini/feed/ 0 http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/06/like-a-little-boat-stuffed-zucchini-with-millet-and-spinach/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=like-a-little-boat-stuffed-zucchini-with-millet-and-spinach http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/06/like-a-little-boat-stuffed-zucchini-with-millet-and-spinach/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:05:33 +0000 silvia http://www.citronetvanille.com/blog/?p=2391 Comme un petit bateau – Courgettes farcies au millet, épinards, parmesan et herbes

I don’t know why I am not a fan of stuffed vegetables, it is something I quite never had a great pleasure eating and I really cannot understand why. Maybe because they remind me of my childhood: the stuffed vegetables my aunt was preparing in Italy, they were so greasy and floating on oil, that I could not eat them…and of course, I had absolutely no other option than eat them, because she would not let me go. I would elbow my mom so she could take them discreetly in her plate, but of course, that was not an option either since zia Flora was scrutinizing us. Now, zia Flora has no internet and does not speak English, so she will never know I hate her stuffed eggplants!

In France we have an expression that says “marche ou crève” meaning “walk or die”, in Italy it would be more like “mange ou crève” which means “eat or die”!!

Anytime I make stuffed vegetables, I just cannot avoid thinking about those beautiful purple eggplant soaked in oil. Not sure why some of the older generation of people think that if there is little fat, there is no taste, that somehow fat and taste are related. Where does this come from? Obviously you need fat, I don’t like anything “fat-free”, and never buy those fat-free products but you just cannot use half liter of oil anytime you make a meal.

Those zucchini are different, they are fulfilling but light and certainly not greasy. I used little millet and actually I was quite happy about the result, so I figured I would post it, for those of you who want an idea for stuffing veggies.

I know millet is mainly a bird seed but I somehow like its taste and nutritious values, since they are filled with proteins.

Ingredients for 6

• 3 medium size zucchini
• 1/3 cup millet
• 1 tomato, seedless, peeled and diced
• 1 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1 tbs basil, chopped
• 2 tbs parmigiano reggiano, grated
• 1/2 cup cooked spinach
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 shallot

Preparation

First start cooking millet. You can either use a rice cooker, or steam millet in twice its quantity of water until it’s soft and the seed has popped out.

Cut the zucchini lenghtwise, scoop the flesh with a teaspoon, cut in small pieces. Heat olive oil in a pan, add shallots, and cook until soft, then add garlic and cook for another minute or less. Add the diced zucchini flesh and cook until soft.

In a container, mix zucchini, shallot mixture, add tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients and the cooked millet. Mix well and stuff the zucchini with the mixture.

Cover with aluminum foil and cook in a 375F oven for about 20 minutes, then remove foil and cook for additional 10 minutes to brown the top.

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