Back in July 2009, I volunteered to do some recipe testing for a new cookbook being written by Shauna and Danny Ahern. You probably know them as Gluten Free Girl and the Chef. I was sworn to secrecy at the time, but since their book is out, I can share this.
I only was able to test one recipe, but the one I tested was a total winner: millet tabbouleh.
Now, I don’t need to eat gluten-free, but I have friends who do, and it’s always interesting to work with new recipes. Millet is a delicious alternative to using bulgur wheat for tabbouleh, too. And it’s got a lot going for it: it’s high in manganese, phosphorous and magnesium. I love the taste and texture. And I always prepare this whole grain by soaking it with an acid to reduce the amount of the anti-nutrient phytic acid in it. This makes the grain more digestable and more nutritious.
I made this for an event over the weekend, and everyone loved it. The resident picky eater also loves it. I hope you do, too.
Adapted from the recipe by Shauna and Danny Ahern
I’ve halved the original recipe – the original it made two large mixing bowls full of tabbouleh. This half recipe satisfied the needs of a small party, plus there was extra left over.
1 cup millet
vinegar/lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
water
2 medium-size tomatoes, or enough to make 1 cup chopped (cherry tomatoes work well)
1/2 cup scallions, small dice
1 long English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and small diced
1 tablespoons Italian parsley, washed well and chopped
1/2 tablespoon mint, diced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Soak the millet for 8-10 hours in water with an acid (I used a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar). Drain and rinse the millet and put it in a large saucepan with 2 1/4 cups of water and 1 tsp of coarse sea salt. Let it come to a boil, stir the millet, then turn down the heat to low. Let it simmer until it has absorbed all the water and has turned fluffy, around 15-20 minutes.
Remove it from the heat, put it in the refrigerator (put a thick towel underneath), and let it cool down in there – this step is very important. .
Add the tomatoes, scallions, cucumbers, and herbs to the millet. Put the smoked paprika in the palm of one hand, and pinch it over the tabbouleh. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper into a dressing. Pour over the salad and toss everything together.
You’ll easily get 8 servings out of this, maybe more.