Orange Millet Pilaf

My friend, Larry Fried, the owner of Natural Choice Directory, has shared his recipe for Orange Millet Pilaf. He's made it for years and is one of his favorite dishes to take to a potluck. I made it the other night for my family, including my five and three year old grandchildren. They gobbled it up, saying "I love it, Nana!" I bet you will too.

For those of you making the transition to more of a plant-based diet, I encourage you to read Larry's article "For My Heart: A Personal Perspective on Eating a Plant-Based Diet."

 

Ingredients: 

1 cup Millet (rinse)
4 medium Oranges
1/2 cup Cashews
1/2 Raisins
zest of 1 Orange (above)
1 tablespoon of Agave Nectar or to taste
Water (see below)

Directions:

• Juice 3 oranges
• Add water to the juice for a total 2 1/4 cups total liquid
• Put millet in saucepan with liquid
• Cover pan
• Bring to boil, then turn down to simmer, and cook until liquid is gone (about 20-25 minutes). DO NOT STIR
• Turn off, let sit for about 5 minutes, then fluff lightly with a fork

While the millet is cooking, combine:

• The zest of final Orange
• The juice of that Orange
• Cashews
• Raisins
• Agave

After fluffing millet, add the above mixture, stir in with the fork, and serve.

Pilaf can be eaten hot (best) or cold.

[Note: Before I cooked the millet, I dry-toasted the grain for 4 minutes or until slightly golden, on medium heat, for a nuttier flavor. Be very careful not to burn.]

For information about millet and it's many benefits. click here.

Raw Cranberry Relish

Sunday afternoon was our November "Rawking Lane County" Potluck. My raw cranberry relish was a hit. I brought small, biodegradable serving cups along and made up a number of them with a large dollop of Nancy's vanilla yogurt in the bottom topped with the relish. Others enjoyed it plain... although far from plain, this particular cranberry relish bursts with raw goodness and flavor!

I have a standard KitchenAid, but I don't have a food grinding attachment. However, my next door neighbors do; they have an industrial KitchenAid. Fortunately, their metal grinder fits my mixer perfectly. Using a food grinder, this recipe took me less than a half hour to make and clean up was easy!

When I returned home from our gathering, I made a second batch, dividing the mixture between two quart-size freezer bags and now have them in the freezer until a day or two before Thanksgiving. I'll let the cranberry relish slow-thaw in the refrigerator, until I'm ready to serve it.

Preparation time: 15-30 minutes.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups washed raw cranberries (I use a whole 12 ounce bag)
* 2 skinned and cored tart apples (I leave the skins on)
* 1 large, whole (peel ON) seedless orange, cut into sections
* 1 to 2 cups granulated sugar (depending on taste; I like it best with 1-1/4 cups)

Method:

1. Set up the grinder with a medium-sized blade on the edge of a table with a large roasting pan or bowl to catch the mix as it grinds. These old fashioned grinders tend to leak some of the juice down the grinder base, so you may want to set up an additional pan on the floor under the grinder to catch the drips. If you don't have an old-fashioned grinder you can use a grinder attachment on a KitchenAid mixer, you can chop by hand (though that will take a lot of work), or you can chop in a food processor (be very careful not to over-pulse, or you'll end up with mush).

2. Run fruit through a grinder. Use the entire (seedless) orange, peels, pith and all.

3. Mix in the sugar. Let sit at room temperature until sugar dissolves, about 45 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 cups.



Thanks, Tom! Enjoy!