Multigrain Millet Veggie Loaf

Every July my husband is invited to go pick chanterelle mushrooms in the woods in preparation for our friend's annual party and the classic cream-of-chanterelle soup he likes to make for that occasion. Usually we can tell by the weather that the call will come soon, but sometimes it is just that the date of the party is approaching and mushrooms must be found.  This year there was a lot of rain, and the mushrooms were plentiful, but some were too soggy and many if not most had already been inhabited by other little organisms that love them too.  Coincidentally, errands had taken us into Woodstock, NY where we had chanced upon The Garden Cafe and a lovely polenta-like "millet veggie loaf." When I saw the small quantity of beautiful mushrooms that would not keep well, I thought they would add a golden color to a millet loaf. Then I discovered I only had about a half cup of millet. For one more day I kept the mushrooms in the fridge and sought out millet from the nearby town grocery stores and even a large grocery in Cobbleskill. No go. So multi-grain the loaf became. It was delicious!! One of our new favorites.

Multi-grain Millet Quinoa Veggie Loaf  
(6 reasonable, 4 huge servings)

GRAINS
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup red quinoa (pretty, but pale would do too)
1/3 cup red lentils
1/4 cup corn meal
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric
approximately 4 cups water

1) Cook this slowly in a pot for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile...

2) Chop & then saute about 15 minutes in a large non-stick saute pan until softening:

VEGGIES

1 medium carrot
1 cup vidalia or other sweet onion
1 medium zucchini
1/2 cup fresh corn (cooked & cut from cob)
1/2 a red pepper
2 tsp Bragg's Liquid Amino
1-2 tsp fresh dried thyme or fresh thyme or something else you like

THEN ADD: 1 cup of chanterelles (I know, I know, use what you have -- regular button mushrooms would be lovely too, or chopped shiitakes...)
And saute another 5 minutes.

COMBINE the grains into the saute pan and mix well until the whole thing is one textured beautiful melange. Let cool about 5 minutes and then EITHER mold into a loaf shape in the same pan if it can go in the oven, OR dump this onto parchment paper on a baking sheet or wide baking pan, and gently push in from all sides until this is about 1.5 inches deep (or thick)... loaf- like! You can store it in this format until about 20 minutes before you need to serve it.

FINALLY: Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes. Let stand a couple minutes and then cut and serve with any sauce you like -- marinara, or plum/mushroom sauce or spicy onions and peppers  or grilled tempeh ... oh my, it's good with so many other flavors!

By accident we had some leftover poblano-tomatillo-plum sauce and I added chopped portobellos and chopped red onion to that.

ADDENDUM: It just happened that I created a quick successful little sauce the last time I made this. It added moisture and a nice touch - tahini (1/4 c) plus tamari (1.5 TBLSP) plus a little honey (1+tsp) and water (to the consistency you want) ... yum.

Millet Quinoa Veggie Loaf Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Serving (305g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 206 10% Total Fat 2g 4% Saturated Fat 0g 2% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 198mg 8% Total Carbohydrate 39g 13% Dietary Fiber 6g 23% Sugars 4g 0% Protein 8g 17% Vitamin A 7% • Vitamin C 36% Calcium 3% • Iron 15% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.

Kamut apple ginger bread/muffins

Kamut is a form of wheat originally from Iran, that is easier to digest than the common American wheat grain.  It does have some gluten, but higher protein, fiber and trace elements. It's distinct flavor, texture, and longer shelf life makes it appealing. This bread like muffin is the stuff of a cold winter's breakfast kitchen. My kids grew up eating whatever fruit we had chopped and tucked into whatever baked good I pulled together. The request to "write this one down," was the evidence that whatever it turned into was truly successful. So I'm writing this one down, even though I think there are lots of variations to be explored with it. Normally for any "gingerbread" I would use black strap molasses. I refrained this time, using only the powdered spices and maple syrup, since we've been trying not to add refined sugars and I'm just not sure how to categorize molasses, but I'll look into it. My husband ate his with honey, gluing his walnuts onto each slice that way. I ate mine straight up, not needing the extra sweetness.


Kamut Apple Ginger Bread/Muffins
2 cups Kamut flour
1 Tblsp baking powder
2 tsp (or more) cinnamon
1 tsp (or more) ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp salt

1.75 cups unsweetened soy milk (I use West Soy)
3 Tblsp real maple syrup (this is bread like,  if you want it sweet, use more syrup)
1 medium apple chopped = 3/4 cup OR MORE
1/3 cup raisins (or cranberries or chopped apricots or more of any of these)

Walnuts - optional (I threw some on the plate when I served the slices)

1. Mix together all the 7 dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Peel & chop the apple. You could use twice as much apple and this would turn into a marvelous apple-cake bread (I will try this and let you know how it goes.)
3. Pour wet into dry, mix quickly, adding in the fruit.
4. DECIDE if you are making a loaf or muffins.  I tried it as a loaf this morning and the slices were a nice change of pace. Muffins would have more crispy exterior surface proportionally to each serving.
5. Spread tin foil in a pan, or use parchment paper, or use a silicone sheet and shape a loaf, using the back of a fork to mound evenly and make a crinkly texture on the outside (nice for crispiness' sake). If making muffins, use silicone cups with or without muffin tins. Muffins will only need about 15-20 minutes, a loaf form will take 20-25 minutes.
Slice and serve -- good hot. This has a whole-wheat bread like texture, interrupted by the moisture and sweetness of the fruits you use.

Kamut is not for those with celiac disease, but has shown to be more easily digested by people who have inflammatory or allergic tendencies. Here's the nutritional content of 100 grams of the grain. I've long enjoyed Organic Puffed Kamut, sold by Nature's Path - a whole grain cereal as a tasty good source of fiber (50 calories and 2 g dietary fiber for a whole cup of cereal), and excellent vehicle for fresh berries!

"Kamut" Khorasan wheat, uncooked

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,411 kJ (337 kcal)
Carbohydrates	70.38 g
- Starch	52.41 g
- Dietary fibre	9.1 g
Fat	2.20 g
- polyunsaturated	0.616 g
Protein	14.70 g
Water	10.95 g
Thiamine (vit. B1)	0.591 mg (51%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)	0.178 mg (15%)
Vitamin B6	0.255 mg (20%)
Folate (vit. B9)	0 μg (0%)
Vitamin E	0.60 mg (4%)
Iron	4.41 mg (34%)
Magnesium	134 mg (38%)
Phosphorus	386 mg (55%)
Zinc	3.68 mg (39%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Kamut ginger muffins/bread Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Serving (190g) 1/5 loaf/ 2 muffins Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 259 13% Total Fat 2g 4% Saturated Fat 0g 1% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 324mg 13% Total Carbohydrate 56g 19% Dietary Fiber 7g 26% Sugars 16g 0% Protein 8g 15% Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 3% Calcium 30% • Iron 17% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.

Millet with Sun Dried Tomatoes

One of the wonderful things about eating a whole grain, vegetable based diet, is that we are exploring more of the range that grains have. I had been thinking about making risotto, and building a meal idea around a grain with something savory or succulent in it. My husband read a recipe that involved millet and sun dried tomatoes, and this is what happened!


Millet with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Olives
1 cup millet
6 sun dried tomatoes chopped into fine bits
1/4 cup chopped olives
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cups water
2 Tblsp Mirin
1 Tblsp fresh Rosemary (or 2 tsp dry)
1 Tblsp fresh Thyme (or 2 tsp dry)
1 Tblsp fresh Oregano (or 2 tsp dry)
Fresh pepper

1. Dry roast the millet in a pot until you smell the fragrance of the grain (about 3 minutes). Then add the chopped tomato bits with 2 cups of water, bring it to a boil, then turn it down, stir it, cover it and simmer for around 20 minutes until the grain absorbs all the water. Set this aside, leaving the cover on -- do not stir at this point.

2. In a small saucepan, put 1/2 cup water and the finely chopped onion, cooking a few minutes until they begin softening. Add in the herbs and the olives, turning the pan off, stirring.
3. Gently fold the onions/olives/herbs into the millet,
fluffing the grain and putting it into a serving dish.
Serve with fresh pepper!

Millet with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Olives Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Serving (300g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 272 14% Total Fat 3g 5% Saturated Fat 1g 3% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 131mg 5% Total Carbohydrate 54g 18% Dietary Fiber 7g 26% Sugars 8g 0% Protein 8g 15% Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 12% Calcium 5% • Iron 15% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com with my data

Morning Baking: Many Flours + Parchment Paper

What's for breakfast? Used to be, I'd whip up muffins or scones with whatever fruit was around. So why not try it today? This is when it matters to have the materials you need near to hand. I started with two bowls, one for wet, one for dry. (That felt normal enough.) Then I made the fruit choice - a Fuji apple and a handful of blueberries. Peeled and then slivered the apple (cut in quarters, cut the quarters into slices, sliced the quarters into slivers). Let the games begin. What to use for sweetner? Okay, maple syrup. What to use for substance and some nutrition? Here's what happened:

1 3.5" diameter apple, chopped
25 blueberries (you don't have to count 'em)
1/3 c brown rice flour
1/4 cup whole oats
1/6 cup chick pea flour (I filled the 1/3 scoop halfway)
2 Tblsp almond meal
1 Tblsp corn meal (medium fine)
1 tsp baking powder
2 TBSP real maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp ground ginger (how much do you like?)
dash of salt.

Put the dry together. Put the wet together. Put the dry into the wet.
Oven at 350 F. Spread parchment paper (I use "Beyond Gourmet unbleached) into a flat 9X12" pan and space out the blobs in two rows. I made 6 with this recipe. Baked 25-30 minutes to be sure the apples softened fully.  You could definitely use raisins, or cranberries, or dry tart cherries...and add walnuts!

My husband at his with plain coconut yogurt and fresh blueberries on them. I had mine straight up!

Apple Oat Sweet Morning Bites 

Nutrition Facts courtesy of cronometer.com based on my estimates

Serving Size: 1 Serving (88g)

Amount Per Serving		% Daily Value*
Calories	115	6%
Total Fat	1g	2%
Saturated Fat	0g	1%
Trans Fat
Cholesterol		0%
Sodium	45mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate	24g	8%
Dietary Fiber	2g	9%
Sugars	10g	0%
Protein	3g	5%

Vitamin A	1%	•	Vitamin C	3%
Calcium	6%	•	Iron	4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs.

So Much Fun Eating Only Veggies, Fruits & Whole Grains

Everything we eat changes our biochemistry and that, in turn, really does make us who we are. Food can have a big effect on mood, energy level, risk factors for a whole host of medical conditions, and in our social and family life. Food has a way of entering into our daily pattern, interactions, budget and sense of satisfaction. It makes a difference when we change eating habits, and even if it seems like a good change, making it work can be complicated.

When my husband declared, the morning after seeing the movie "Forks Over Knives"   (forksoverknives.com), that he wanted to “give it all up” and begin eating a meatless, diary free, no gluten, no oil, whole grain, vegetable based diet, I was delighted if incredulous. So, we took the plunge. From that moment on, we began talking about, planning around, buying, preparing, and sharing delicious whole grain, vegetable based meals. This blog will explore our experiences, my invented dishes with recipes, leftovers that make great meals, disasters, new ingredients, our upstate garden and whatever else happens. 

I invite you to try the recipes and let me know how it goes, what you did, how you changed things, and what you like best.  Perhaps I'll compile the recipes that come out best when tested by everyone else and make that available. I'll try to organize my key words so that you can find recipes for various parts of meals, to use specific ingredients, and so forth. Please let me know how this works for you or not, so that I can improve as we go along.

My way of making food is intuitive, using what I see and hardly ever measuring anything. I’ve estimated quantities, and encourage you to change ingredients depending upon what you have in the kitchen and what you like in the way of flavors and colors. I have been using a free program (chronometer.com) to get an idea of the nutritional values of the recipes and I assign serving sizes to see some measure of the protein, fats, carbohydrates and calories each meal contains. Giving up all dairy, meat and fish all at once made me curious about what all these vegetables and grains would provide, and I wanted some way to know if we ought to be taking some kind of nutritional supplements or not. 

So far, it looks like our meals are giving us just about all the nutrition we need, except for vitamin D and calcium, which we are taking as supplements. We've both lost a few pounds just naturally by eliminating oils, all processed foods and dairy and animals. 

Recipes and photos will follow! Let the deliciousness and fun begin!