Let’s play Russian pantry roulette, shall we?
What do you do with the above ingredients?
Here’s my general rule of thumb: when in doubt, add more carbs!
Millet to the rescue (bulk bin grains are dirt cheap after all).
I chopped all the (above) veggies, including celery, carrots, water chestnuts, and raw white corn. Once the millet cooled, I tossed in some dried cranberries and raw pepitas.
Then I added in the crunch factor (aka the raw veggies).
Millet and quinoa are two grains I prefer cool. I don’t know about many others, but I’m eager to expand my horizons and try new things. Ever since I read Brendan Brazier’s Thrive, I have added so many new foods to my hit-list. Grains, pseudograins, seeds, and superfoods galore…starting with amaranth, buckwheat, hemp, flax, barley, and bulgar wheat. Have you cooked with any of these? Do you like grains in cold dishes or warm?
But getting back to the dish at hand…
Some friends came over to check out our new apartment and drop off a bottle of vino just as I was sitting down to eat.
I’m not one to turn down an Alexander Valley Cab.
So I had some red wine with dinner. Why have so many people been asking me if I’m staying sober ‘til the wedding? Is there some bridal code that I’m not aware of? For the record, I have no plans to cease my boozing for some arbitrary reason. I have no job. Please.
I’ve cooked with barley and flax. I grind flax up and use it in my porridge, and I use barley in place of rice or pasta sometimes.
Your dinner looks nice. 🙂
NEEEED a crunch factor. without a doubt.
keep drinking that wine. good for the heart!
have a wonderful day!
love, becca
http://fromheretothereinpurple.blogspot.com
i’ve been wanting to cook the bag of quinoa in my cabinet for months now but am intimidated i won’t know the right seasonings etc. this looks simple enough though! i love dried fruit in this quinoa dish at whole foods.
there are certainly some weird bride-to-be “rules” that i would be miserable following. no carbs, no booze, extra painful workouts 😉
I love quinoa in cold salads- too good. I love millet cooked- it’s such a great sub for cous cous since I can’t have it. Oh, and I love basmati rice. I know white grains are evil but hey ho!
Ooo, I know of a great recipe I think you’d like (i don’t mean to plug my blog but I honestly think you’d love it, it’s a rice and quinoa salad – http://bit.ly/c2OEKb). 🙂
PS I never had people asking if i was staying sober until the big day, how strange! I’m with you, I would continue with the wine and still am 6 years post wedding day!
never heard of a pre-wedding ban on booze! i like to eat quinoa cold or at room temp…bulgar too. bulgar is great for making tabouli!
Dried cran, sunflower seeds, grains + veg = perfect meal in my books. I have been hitting up the Whole Foods bulk bin hard lately with my new found budget – SO much cheaper! Especially quinoa which I find to be pretty $$ in general.
Haha I DEFINITELY did not stay sober before my wedding!!! I have heard of people… um… giving up *other” things before the wedding, and that makes more sense, but my stance is that wedding planning stressful, thus the occasional glass of wine is more than necessary 😉
i’m with you on the quinoa being cool! lately i’ve been doing it as a breakfast and LOVING every single bite!
i’m seriously ready to hop on the barley bandwagon and now after seeing this i think my millet experimentation might peak
Big fan of your blog…you make EVERYTHING you eat look like a special occasion:) I was wondering…more out of curiosity… do you use spices ever in your dishes? I know good quality food doesn’t need much…but just wondering? Also on your salads do you use dressing after you take the pictures or do they taste that great without any? …most of the time that is…
Thanks in advance!
Hey Melissa, Thanks for the sweet comment. More and more lately I’ve been experimenting with different spices…it helps having a brand new spice rack and new (spacious) kitchen 😉 Typically I do prefer clean food though, when I make it myself. On my salads I rarely use dressing if there’s nothing shown or mentioned. For side salads (meaning ones that aren’t my entire entrée), I occasionally add a balsamic vinaigrette type dressing, something with a basic evoo/balsamic vinegar base. But when I make salad beasts with tons of different ingredients, I don’t really put dressing on it. Like you said, good produce is awesome all by itself.
“When in doubt, just add carbs” —-> LOVE it! A motto I can get down with, for sure. Millet is a fabulous grain, and I love what you did with this pantry challenge.
That is a solid rule of thumb when cooking. I would think just add butter but carbs are a close second. 🙂
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