Chill-It Millet Salad Recipe

Well hello there and may I officially welcome you to Spring! I couldn't be more delighted that the season is changing, and the pages are turning. We've planted a few seeds but want tons more. I'm going to get some today to plant along with some strong intentions. Baby will be here soon, and I'm feeling an incredibly energizing shift. Part of that shift includes my learning to cook! I love good food but just didn't feel a connection with the cooking process. But after all these frustrating years of not understanding or feeling the art of flavoring, I think I'm finally catching on. So I just made this delicious vegan millet salad, and shit, I think anyone would eat it (maybe not My Sister the Barbarian, she's not into eating things without meat). I originally was going to make a quinoa salad, but Whole Foods was out, so I got millet instead. It's very similar in quality and nutritional value to quinoa (though it does take twice the time to cook), so feel free to use them interchangeably.

I must give credit where it is due; I got the basis for this recipe off http://www.recipezaar.com
The recipe is a Black Bean and Millet Salad, though I added or replaced ingredients where I saw fit, including the black beans. I didn't want to use my one can right now, so I just left them out. Also, I came up with the new name. So here ya go!

Chill-It Millet Salad Serves 6-10? Total cook/prep time: Took me over an hour, but I've been grooving to the Avett Brothers and Hothouse Flowers, so I enjoyed it.

2 3/4 cups water
1 cup uncooked millet (rinsed, though I forgot to do this and is perhaps why it came out a bit sticky, or maybe I just needed a little less water)
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small-medium warm-colored bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium avocado, sliced into squares
a couple handfuls of walnuts, chopped
two branches of kale, destemmed and chopped
a handful or so of parsley or cilantro, to taste
2 medium tomatoes, diced

Dressing:
1/3 cup water
~3 tablespoons lemon juice
~1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

Directions:
1. Rinse millet. Bring the water to a boil, add millet, turn to low and cover. Takes 25-30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, begin chopping your veggies. I recommend saving the tomatoes for last because they really gunk up your cutting board.

3. When millet is cooked, take off heat and fluff with fork. Transfer to a large bowl to let it breathe and cool.

4. Steam your kale. Takes about 10 minutes. Take off heat when soft so you don't lose too many nutrients.

5. Prepare your dressing and toss everything together! I thoroughly tossed the veggies with the grain before adding the dressing. I don't know, it just feels better that way. Taste and adjust if necessary. Mine is extremely flavorful!

6. Serve chilled or room temperature. They're both good!

Enjoy the weather! It's a little cooler today than it has been this week, but that's okay because I hear millet is actually a warming grain. Combined with the cooling veggies, it's a perfect meal for a cool spring day.

Much love