Millet "Couscous" Salad

If you're looking for a healthful and tasty salad I don't think you could get much closer than this one.  Not everyone is a fan of millet. I can understand that it does demand an acquired taste, but I have practiced and learnt to love it. Of course, everyone already loves couscous. It's basically pasta so what's not to love; on the down side though couscous is just one step up from pasta nutritionally being just a coarser milling of semolina. On the other hand, big-brother millet, slandered as "bird-seed" (Yes, birds did eat it, but what's that got to do with anything?) is one of the grains most laden-full of minerals and proteins as well as being one of the few "alkaline" foods.

This takes a bit more explaining, but to cut a long story short, we eat way to much food with a high acid PH which naturally doesn't do much good for the digestion and digestive organs which already have a high acid content, hence it is much better to balance it with more alkaline foods. That said, with all those health benefits, Theresa still refuses to eat millet. I used to give it to her when I did her work pack-lunches for a while. She mentioned she wasn't a big fan and so I then started disguising it. Mashing it with sweet potato and so forth. But she got wise and there was almost an uprising. So we agreed there was to be no more millet.



However, I have never been one to let sleeping dogs lie. So while she's been away in London and I've been here alone I've been having a little play around and in my opinion - and she may beg to differ so I won't make any boasts quite yet - this salad made with millet could pretty much be confused with a similar version made with couscous. The trick is to rinse the grains well, if possible leave them to soak overnight and then comes the major piece of advise; toast the grains in a heavy bottomed pan or skillet with a tablespoon of oil.



Millet "couscous" Salad (serves 4)



1 cup millet

3 tbs olive oil

1 stick celery

1/2 green pepper

1/2 red pepper

1 red chili (optional)

1/4 cup almonds

1//4 cup raisins

large handful fresh parsley

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

1. wash and rinse the millet in a few changes of water. Set it aside overnight if possible. Drain completely and heat 1 tbs of the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. When it is hot add the millet and toast for 5 or so minutes until the millet gives off a kind of "nutty" aroma. 
2. Place the millet in a saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil. Lower the heat and cook semi-covered for 20 minutes. All the water should have evaporated. Now slip a tea-towel under the lid to absorb any excess water and steam. Leave to rest.
3. Chop all the vegetables very finely.  Mince the chili (if using) and the fresh parsley.
4. Set a small pan on the stove over low heat and add the rest of the oil. Toast the almonds until they darken a shade and add the sultanas. Within 2 minutes they should puff up. remove the pan from the heat.
5. Mix all the ingredients together and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice.