Forbidden Rice Salad

I always have 1 or 2 protein dishes and whole grains in the fridge so weeknight cooking means only making veggies, which takes from 5-15 minutes!

Here is a really easy way to use up your cooked rice. I would add in defrosted shelled edamame, grated carrots, leftover grilled veggies or any boxed baby arugula or spinach I have on hand.  I put together a simple vinaigrette - 2 parts sesame oil, 2 parts vinegar (red wine or rice vinegar), 1 part maple syrup with a sprinkle of salt. Mix it all up, throw in some pistachios or chopped cashews and serve!

How Instant Pot Cooking Turned me into a Lazy Cook

Last year while I was away on a trip, my husband, in order to survive weeks of living a bachelor's life again bought an Instant Pot, an all-in-one device that functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker/porridge maker, sauté/browning pan, steamer, yogurt maker and stockpot warmer. He ate very well. He did not miss my cooking.

Needless to say, when I came back from my trip, my ego was slightly bruised. I was highly skeptical of this multi-purpose cooker. Well, how good can food taste when all the ingredients are dumped into one pot and all you need to do is to press a button?  Doesn't it take away the joy of cooking? The stirrings? The aromas? The sizzling sounds?

The answer is no, much to my surprise!

Months later,  I am now making steel cut oatmeal, brown rice, lentils, one-pot lentils and rice mixes, beef stews, sweet potato and chickpea curries, all with the press of a button! We have become Instant Pot addicts! In fact my husband and I are so convinced that everyone should own an Instant Pot, we are buying it as a standard birthday or Christmas gift for all our friends and family members.

I love how I don't need to soak the black beans overnight. I love how I can walk away from the kitchen and not have to constantly stir or worry about anything burning. I love how the brown rice always comes out perfectly. I love how fast the food cooks.

It is human nature that we want to put in the least amount of effort to achieve the biggest possible result, i.e. to be lazy, and the Instant Pot has transformed me into a lazy cook, in a good way!

Read this article from Jen Reviews about Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker

Buy an Instant Pot here

Here are two of my favorite ways to cook rice in an Instant Pot:

4 GRAIN RICE

• 1/3 cup millet
• 1/4 cup purple rice
• 1/4 cup short grain brown rice
• 2 Tbsp amaranth
• 1 3/4 cups broth /water

Cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. If double the amount of grains, use 2 3/4 cups of liquid.

Mushroom and Kombu Flavored Rice (with Chicken, optional)

• 2 cups brown jasmine rice
• shitaki mushrooms
• crumble of kombu
• sprinkle of salt
• 2 3/4 cups broth /water
• chicken pieces (optional)

Cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. Season with tamari when done.

Buckwheat - the forgotten gluten-free whole grain

If you are not of Russian or East European descent, you probably won't be eating buckwheat groats as intact kernels on a regular basis. I usually rotate quinoa, millet, brown and purple rice as my favorite whole grain options. Although I love the taste of buckwheat flour-based pancakes and soba noodles, buckwheat groats are mostly forgotten and tucked away in my kitchen pantry.

A few weeks ago, my dear friend Sveta from the Ukraine came to visit. She taught me two ways to cook this gluten-free, super nutritious whole grain! Like quinoa, it cooks very quickly. What you see in the picture is kasha, or toasted buckwheat. You can have it with any salads, savory dishes or as an alternative to oatmeal as a breakfast porridge.

METHOD 1 (the mushier option):

• Rinse 1 cup of buckwheat and drain well.
• Put 3 cups of water in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
• Add rinsed buckwheat, a pinch of salt and boil in medium heat for 16 minutes. (Do not lower the heat.  Sveta insists it's 16 minutes exactly! Stir once or twice to make sure the grains are not stuck to the bottom of the pan.)

METHOD 2 (the grainier option):

• Rinse 1 cup of buckwheat and drain well.
• Put buckwheat in a saucepan, with 1 1/2 cups of cold water and a pinch of salt, then bring it to boil.
• Turn off heat. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Millet Cauliflower Mash

My daughter's favorite dinner - steak and mashed potatoes! Except for tonight I made a potato-less mash with millet and cauliflower, a protein-packed whole grain with a complex carb. She LOVED it!!

For all comfort food lovers out there, make this healthy mash!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup millet (washed and soaked overnight if possible)
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt + more if necessary
• black pepper
• butter (optional)

Method:

1. Put drained millet, cauliflower, water and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.
2. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until millet is fluffy and soft and all liquid is absorbed.
3. Remove from heat. Add butter (optional). Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Mash until creamy with a potato masher or heavy spoon. Add more salt and black pepper to taste. Cover pot again for 5 minutes before serving.

I served mine with a hearty black bean stew on top. Try yours with scallion, garlic, tamari or any favorite oils or herbs of your choice!

Roasted carrots with millet and mint-pistachio dressing

Finally a yummy millet recipe!

If you are like me, looking to broaden your gluten-free whole grain repertoire so you are not eating brown rice and quinoa every day, check out this wonderful summer recipe from Marco Canora's "A Good Food Day".

Ingredients:

• 12 carrots, scrubbed with tops trimmed
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 Tbsp
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup millet
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp unsalted pistachios, plus chopped pistachios for serving
• Grated Parmesan (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Leave carrots whole, or if they are thicker than 1/2 inch, half them lengthwise. On the baking sheet toss them with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast, shaking the sheet occasionally until the skin looks shriveled and lightly browned, for about an hour.
3. While the carrots are roasting, prepare the millet. Toast it in a dry pot over medium-high heat , stirring often until the grains turn golden brown, for about 4 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups of water and a pinch of salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
4. Now prepare the mint-pistachio dressing. In a food processor, combine the mint, pistachios, a pinch of salt and process until the nuts are coarsely ground. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and and process until pesto is smooth. Throw in a little Parmesan if you like a more cheesy pesto.
5. On a large platter, toss the roasted carrots with millet and enough dressing to coat everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle a few chopped pistachios on top.

Beautifully roasted carrots...

The dressing also works really well with quinoa!

Morning Millet Porridge

You can make porridge from any breakfast grain. Lately I have been obsessing with millet porridge. It is more neutral than quinoa and breaks up the monotony of daily oatmeal.

How to cook millet:

1. In a large saucepan, toast 1 cup of millet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until they turn into a rich golden brown and become fragrant.
2. Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Stir. Increase heat to high and bring water to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let it sit covered for a few minutes. Fluff and serve.
4. Save leftovers for morning millet porridge.

How to make millet porridge:

1. In a saucepan combine 1 cup of cooked millet, 1 chopped banana, 1 cup of almond milk or water. Bring it to boil and turn the heat to low.
2. Add a pinch of cinnamon. Allow it to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir frequently.
3. When done, top with a few slices of apple or pear, a sprinkle of coconut flakes and your favorite chopped nuts and seeds.