Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Magenta Millet Pilaf

From: http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/pilafs/magenta-millet-pilaf

This is from Lorna Sass's _Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure_.
It's an absolutely gorgeous dish, perfect for any holiday (esp
Christmas, since it has a bright crimson color, speckled with green
mint). I adjusted the spices to suit my tastes and the recipe is
listed as I made it. I used a T-Fal pressure cooker and a flame
tamer. No burning millet whatsoever.

MAGENTA MILLET PILAF

1 cup millet, rinsed and drained
2 cups boiling water
1/2 lb beets, scrubbed, trimmed, and cut into 1/2 inch dice (no need
to peel. I used 3 bulbs, slightly over 1/2 lb, even a bit
more would be OK)
1/2 t salt
1/8 t allspice (I really don't think this did anything for the dish,
however)
----
1 T fresh orange zest (you should need 2 oranges for this recipe)
2 T minced fresh mint
6 T fresh orange juice
salt, to taste

Heat nonstick or cast iron skillet over high heat. Toast millet till
it gives off a nice popcorn smell and starts to dance about the pan.
Place millet in pressure cooker pot when done.

Heat flame tamer and place pressure cooker on top. Add boiling water,
beets, salt, and allspice to pressure cooker. Lock lid and bring up
to high pressure. When high pressure is reached, turn down heat to
maintain pressure and hold for 10 minutes (set a timer).

Meanwhile, zest one of the oranges. You should get a yield of 1 T, if
not, use the other orange as well. (If you don't have a zester, use a
sharp potato peeler to delicately remove just the orange peel, leaving
the bitter white pith behind.) Mince the orange zest. Set aside.
Squish the oranges without breaking them by rolling them between your
hands and the counter. This will make juicing go easier. Cut in half
and juice. You should get 6 T or so. Since oranges vary in
sweetness, you will want to add the orange juice by taste.

Mince the mint and set aside.

After the 10 minutes are up on the pressure cooker, turn off heat and
move it to a cold burner. Let sit for 10 minutes and then take cooker
to sink. Run under cold water to release any residual pressure and
remove lid.

Add mint and zest. Add orange juice to taste, and salt if needed.
Serve.

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