Creamy Millet Polenta with Rainbow Chard and Chickpeas

September 24, 2021 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

serves 4-6

1/2 cup dried chickpeas – soaked overnight
1 medium onion – halved
3-4 garlic cloves – crushed with a knife
6 cups water
sea salt – to taste
2 tablespoons neutral coconut oil or ghee – divided
1 cup millet – soaked overnight
juice of 2 lemons – divided
2 tablespoons olive oil – divided
1 tablespoon tamari
2 tablespoons sweet miso paste
1 tablespoon mustard
1 garlic clove – minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only – sliced
1 bunch rainbow chard – leaves separated from stems, stems chopped, leaves torn into bite-size pieces

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas and place them into a medium soup pot together with onion, garlic and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until completely soft. Add salt at the last 10 minutes. Drain chickpeas, reserving the broth. Discard onion and set chickpeas aside. Pour the broth back into the pot and keep it hot.

2. Drain and rinse millet. Add to a food processor and grind until partially broken down, but not completely smooth.

3. Warm 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add millet, stir to coat. Add 1/2 lemon juice, stir in for about 30 seconds until absorbed. Add 3 cups of hot chickpea broth and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until polenta is creamy. Stir frequently to prevent clumping. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee and tamari. Cover and keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, mix together miso paste, mustard, garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the rest of the lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

5. In a large pan, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Add cumin and stir around until fragrant. Add leek, saute for 5 minutes, then add chard stems, salt and pepper and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add chickpeas, stir to coat and warm through. Add chard leaves, 1/4 cup hot chickpea broth and the miso dressing. Stir until chard leaves are wilted and everything is coated evenly.

6. Distribute the polenta between bowls, top with the chickpea-veggie mixture and serve hot.

 

Quinoa and black bean burger

January 14, 2021 / Lyn Jones / 0 Comments

Makes 6 large burgers

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, roasted
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms (like whites but better flavour & texture)
  • 125g quinoa
  • 250ml boiling water
  • 1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour (we use a gluten-free one)
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot
  • pinch of sea salt and pepper1. Preheat the oven to 220C (fan 200C).

    2. Place onion & garlic in frying pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil – cook 5–10 mins until soft. Add the spices – cook another minute, remove – leave to cool.

    3. Place mushrooms in a baking tray with 1 tab olive oil & some salt and pepper – roast 10–15 mins. until golden. Remove and leave to cool.

    4. While mushrooms are cooking prepare quinoa by placing in a pan over medium heat and covering with the boiling water. Bring back to boiling, simmer 10–15 mins. Once cooked, remove and leave to cool.

    5. Once the mushrooms & quinoa have cooled, place all the ingredients in a food processor  (make sure you discard any excess liquid from the mushroom pan before adding them to the processor, as this can make the mix too watery). Pulse until smooth then place mixture in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.

    6. Once cool, use a large spoon to scoop out patties and flatten them into round shapes, about 8cm across. If needed, place the patties in the fridge for another 30 minutes to firm up.

    7. Once firm enough to hold together when flipped, place a frying pan over a medium heat, drizzle with olive oil and cook the burgers for 5 minutes on each side.

    Tip: These freeze well, so put any patties you don’t need straight away in the freezer for another day or keep in the fridge for a few days and have them cold as part of an on-the-go or desk lunch.

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