The summer is not yet over and I am still craving fresh salads. In fact, since I’ve entered my 3rd trimester of pregnancy, salads are the only meals that don’t give me heart burn in the evenings. Thankfully, the sky is the limit when it comes to salad variations, AND best of all, they are easy and quick to make. Creativity is the name of the game when you eat salad every night! This combo has become a house favorite as it is light and satisfying. Although you can also have it for lunch these ingredients are a recipe for a sound night sleep, due to almonds richness in calcium, the high content of tryptophan and carbohydrates in the millet and the corn salad’s well known sedative properties.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup millet
- 1 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1 large fennel thinly sliced
- 2 cups corn salad (‘mâche’ in French) or baby lettuce
- 3 large cooked beets peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons of finely chopped mint or cilantro (mint is contra-indicated for acid-reflux suffers)
- Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
- High quality Extra-Virgin olive oil
- A dab of balsamic vinegar
Note: for added protein add 1/3 cup of chick peas or the same amount of goat cheese
Preperation:
- Put millet and vegetable broth in small sauce pan and cook with a lid on medium heat until all broth has evaporated. Let cool.
- In a small frying pan coated with olive oil place slivered almonds once the pan is hot. At medium heat roast a few minutes until these become lite brown, carefully watching them in order for them not to burn.
- Remove almonds from heat and set to cool in a small bowl
- Mix all vegetables
- Add millet and almonds once they have cooled
- Top off the salad with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
Food as medicine
Millet
Millet is a grain that is easily digestible, rich in tryptophan and magnesium. Like other whole grains, it is a good source of insoluble fiber, therefore helps reduce cholesterol. Millet is:
- A good brain food due to its high vitamin B, lecithin and choline content
- A good heart food due to its richness in magnesium and insoluble fiber
- Gluten-free grain
- Alkaline, whereas most grains are acidifying
