New Taste Journal

Whole Grain · Whole Food · Big Flavors

Millet and Quinoa Salad w/ Fig Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1      Gallon Water
1      Cup Quinoa
1      Cup Millet
7      Dried Figs, any kind
2      Tbs. Olive Oil
2      Tbs. Red Vinegar
3      Tbs. Orange Juice
1/2   Shallot
1/2   tsp. Black Pepper, ground
1/4   tsp. Thyme, fresh or dry
1      Pinch Saffron, optional
1      Pinch Salt
1/4 Cup Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
1/4   Cup Pomegranate Seeds
1/4   Cup Toasted Almonds, crushed

Bring a gallon of water to a boil.

Add millet and boil for 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes, add quinoa to the same pot, boil for 15 minutes more and both grains will be cooked.

Pour quinoa-millet mix into a strainer.

Spray grains with cold water for a few seconds to cool.

Let grains drain in a strainer for one hour.

While grains are draining prepare the rest of the recipe.

Remove stem from figs and dice into small pieces.

Peel and mince the shallot.

Gather spices and place onto a plate.

Add shallot to the plate.

Place orange juice and vinegar into a bowl.

Add figs and mix together w/ fingers.

Use the liquid to seperate any fig pieces that may be stuck together.

Place oil into a small pan over high heat.

When oil is hot, but not smoking hot, add the shallot-spice plate ingredients to the pan.

Let shallot and spices sizzle in the oil for about ten seconds.

Use a fork to disperse the saffron evenly across the pan.

Add figs and liquid to the pan.

Stir a few times and remove pan from the heat.

Leave ingredients to cool in the pan.

This is our fig vinaigrette.

Wash, shake dry and chop the parsley.

Toast and crush the almonds,
See toasting nut directions here.

Remove seeds from pomegranate
See working with pomegranate.

Place drained grains into a bowl.

Add fig vinaigrette.

Mix parsley, nuts and pomegranate together,

Add most of that mixture to the bowl, saving some to garnish the salad.

Add a pinch of salt to the bowl.

Mix all ingredients together by hand.

To Serve:

Place a cup of the grain salad onto a plate.

Garnish with some of the reserved parsley-nut-pomegranate mix,

Drizzle a very small 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil over the salad and sprinkle a tiny bit of salt.

New Taste Thinking:

Millet and quinoa go together so well. They compliment each other with taste and texture. I have another recipe that pairs them together, Millet-Quinoa Stuffing.

This salad also bring up the conversation of eating the pomegranate seed. The interesting thing about adding these seeds to a dish has to do with the texture of the dish. For example I would not add them to my yogurt because you don't really chew yogurt.
Grain dishes on the other hand are chewed and the seeds add a wonderful crunchy nut-like texture and of course some delicious flavor.

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New Taste Journal

Whole Grain · Whole Food · Big Flavors