Gosh, look at how beautiful this is! We think vegetables and grains (and fruits and every other organic item that can be harvested from Mother Earth) are sooo gorgeous. The colors of fall and winter are magical, and this dish embodies that beauty. Something special happens to carrots and red onions when they are roasted… they become sweet and these taste almost fruity, thanks to some good olive oil. Now, millet is an interesting grain; it is very hearty, dry and firm. We feel like it’s probably one of those things that you either love or hate, so it’s definitely worth giving a try, but if the words “dry and firm” don’t seem too tantalizing, use something else, like couscous, farro or quinoa. This makes for a stunning, rustic side dish that would go great with any protein, or with a salad for a light, meatless supper. Oh, and it’s chock full of nutrients.
Tips (unsponsored): We buy most of our grains at Sprouts in the bulk section, so we can just buy a cup or so at a time. To cook the millet, we combined 1 cup of millet with 2 cups water. We brought it to a boil, covered, and reduced the heat to low for 12 minutes. Also, we love the small tri-color carrots at Sprouts (you know, the ones with the stems still in place). They were out when we bought ingredients for this photo, so we used the tri-color baby carrots and they worked just as well.
Have your kids pluck the rosemary leaves from their stems, drawing attention to their woodsy fragrance. As you prepare and enjoy this dish with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Millet is a good source of gluten-free energy.
- Although they are cooked in this dish, it is interesting to note that eating raw carrots actually helps to clean your teeth and gums.
- The nutrients in red onions can help fight off bad bacteria and fungi.
Adapted slightly from: Millet with Roasted Carrots
- 1 pound small carrots, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- olive oil, salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary.
- 1 cup cooked millet
- Toss the carrots and red onion with olive oil, salt and rosemary.
- Roast at 425 degrees F until tender, 30 minutes.
- Cook 1 cup millet in salted water as the label directs (we combined 1 cup millet with 2 cups water. We brought it to a boil, covered, and reduced the heat to low for 12 minutes).
- Drizzle with olive oil; top with the vegetables.
