November 23rd, 2014
Both my husband’s and my family live far away, so instead we celebrate Thanksgiving with the other family – our friends. This tradition of friends getting together at our house has developed naturally over the past ten years that we’ve called the West coast of Florida our home. I always look forward to that one Thursday in late November – usually, it’s cold enough to light a fire in our seldom used fireplace, and I have a bunch of new recipes ready for a test run.
Our Thanksgiving table is never a traditional one – I rarely cook the same dish two years in a row and our international circle of friends assures plenty of exciting variety. This colorful pilaf is destined to join this year’s celebration.
Up until recently, I had only heard of sorghum flour as a great gluten free option for baked goods. Then a bag of whole sorghum grains caught my eye in one of the isles of our health food store, and I had to try it out.
Sorghum is a nutritious grain native to Africa. It has a nice, pleasantly chewy texture and neutral flavor, which combines very well with roasted juicy cranberries and grapes, Brussels sprouts, nuts and aromatic herbs. If you are still looking for a flavorful veggie dish to complete your Thanksgiving table, this one is a winner.
Sorghum Pilaf
Note: feel welcome to use different grains instead of sorghum, such as rice, barley, millet, farro, etc.
1 cup whole sorghum grains or other grains of choice – soaked in water overnight (important for sorghum)
1 lb brussels sprouts – ends trimmed and cut in half
about 3 cups grapes (I specifically love Thomcord grapes here)
8 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
large handful walnuts
3 tablespoons melted coconut or olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons each chopped thyme, sage and rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Drain and rinse sorghum. Place it into a large saucepan, pour 3 cups filtered water over it and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat to simmer, add a pinch of salt and cook for 50-60 minutes or until soft (the sorghum will still be slightly chewy, but cooked).
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of ingredients and toss to coat.
3. Spread on a rimmed baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until brussels sprouts feel soft when pricked with a fork, but not mushy. Gently stir and turn the tray halfway through the baking.
4. Spoon the cooked sorghum into a large mixing bowl and add the roasted brussels sprouts with fruits, nuts, herbs and their caramelized juices. Stir gently to combine. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated in an air-tight container and serve cold or at room temperature.
Tags: brussels sprouts, cranberries, grapes, salad, sorghum
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November 25th, 2013
As healthy as I always try to feed Paloma, and as many green smoothies and juices she drinks daily, I never dreamt of her eating a green salad, despite my frequent attempts to get her to like it. Everything changed this fall, when our growing season began. All kinds of delicious, crispy greens from local organic farms are in abundance at the market at this time of year, and this is the prime time for salads.
The other day, Paloma was observing me making a salad for her dad and announced that it smells good and she would like some. I was convinced that it would be another failed try, but she cleaned out the bowl in no time and asked for more. Since that evening, she’s been eating two servings of green salad daily, and I suspect that my pomegranate molasses dressing is key to this miraculous transformation in taste. I usually turn to pomegranate molasses every fall and use it to sprinkle on pretty much everything, it’s one of those special, delicious ingredients perfect for this time of year.
The salad that I’m sharing with you today is hearty, but bright and crispy at the same time. And of course it is accompanied by the dressing that turned my five year old into a salad enthusiast. It is hard to get enough of and would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving table. Happy holidays, enjoy your time with family and friends!
Shaved Brussels Sprout, Pomegranate and Lentil Salad
(serves 8-10)
for the salad
1 cup black or puy (French) lentils
1 cup shelled edamame
10-15 brussels sprouts
1 pomegranate – seeds
about 1/4 red kuri, kabocha or butternut squash- shredded
for the dressing
5 tablespoons grapeseed, sunflower or olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoons mustard
generous squeeze of lemon juice – optional
sea salt and freshly squeezed black pepper
to make the salad
1. Cover the lentils with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until soft. Add a generous pinch of salt at the end, drain and let cool.
2. Bring a large amount of well-salted water to a boil and blanch edamame for about one minute. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Alternatively, you can just thaw edamame and leave raw.
3. Trim the brussels sprouts and shred them in a food processor with a shredding attachment.
4. Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl until smooth.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to coat and serve. Alternatively, keep the salad and dressing refrigerated separately, in air-tight containers until ready to serve. Dress the salad as you go, individually in serving bowls.
Tags: brussels sprouts, lentils, pomegranate, recipe, salad
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