As someone who likes to cook regularly, I hate to admit when I'm stumped on what to make next. I have several recipes stored in my kitchen and in my mind, yet I still find myself staring at my refrigerator and its contents. It definitely gets harder when I try to be more mindful about cooking in season.
Lately, I've been leaning more into the practice of letting my body intuitively guide me on what to eat. Sometimes it's pizza and sometimes it's avocado toast. We're about balance in this household.
For the next conjured craving, I decided to try something different: I decided to dream up my next meal.
Dreams are a powerful method of communication and manifestation in many religious traditions. In the hoodoo/conjure tradition, dreams can be a way for us to receive messages from departed loved ones, see events on the horizon and tap into the subconscious.
I decided to reach out to my ancestors and ask them what I should make next. Before bed, I said my usual prayers of gratitude and requests for protection, but I also opened up the line of communication for guidance around cooking. While asleep, I had a beautiful dream about my ancestors showing me how to prepare a small, yellowish seed and passing a handful to me. The seeds felt smooth and slipped through my fingers. I understood the small pearls in my hands to be millet. I awoke feeling a sense of gratitude.
Gratitude for their love, gratitude for their knowledge, and gratitude for their inspiration.
Since we're in the season of thanks, I decided to create a salad that represented all the elements in my life that make me feel prosperous: health, wisdom, protection and stability. Many of these elements are incorporated through the use of fresh herbs in this salad.
Sage for wisdom. Rosemary for protection. Thyme for health. Basil for wealth. Parsley for love.
It also comes through via my intentions while cooking. As you might know, I'm a big believer in cooking with intention. With that said, I encourage you to reflect on what makes you feel prosperous while conjuring up this meal.
Prosperity Millet Salad
Ingredients:
Pesto Dressing
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
Juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
Generous pinch of salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Millet Salad
1 1/2 cups hulled millet
3 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 medium onion
1-2 tablespoons of high-heat oil
1 teaspoon favorite all-purpose seasoning
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
2 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped
2 sprigs of sage, finely chopped
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half of one lemon
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 cup of hulled pumpkin seeds
2 cups cooked and diced sweet potato
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings
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Preparing the pesto: Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse till you get a paste consistency. Add more olive oil if too thick.
Preparing the salad: Stirring constantly, toast the millet in a saucepan over high heat till fragrant (about 4-5min).
Add the vegetable stock and bay leaf and bring the combination to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until all liquid has been cooked off and the grain is tender.
While the millet is cooking, sauté the chopped onion over medium heat with a high-heat oil and your favorite seasoning until the onions are translucent. Set aside to cool.
Once the millet is cooked, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the pesto into the bowl and mix till combined with the millet. Add the onions and remaining ingredients.
Serve warm or room temperature. You may need to adjust the seasoning to your taste.
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