Apricot Almond Cobbler (Gluten Freè)

My love of local fruits and vegetables in well known but my recent visit to the land of "gluten free" is a new novelty.  I have had a couple of colossal failures (leaving me with deserts that taste like school paste) and a couple of very cool successes (I am I love with those peanut butter cookies.....so much so that I baked a batch and packed them in my hubby's suitcase last week as a treat).  

I have found that my biggest challenge with the whole gluten free recommendation has been breads (God help me! Being Croatian it's like telling me not to breathe). The second challenge is desserts so this recipe is absolutely perfect.

4 c chopped fruit (stone fruit) or berries dusted with tapioca flour

2 c almond flour

1/2 c coconut oil

1/4 c sweetener (stevia or brown sugar)

A couple of dashes of cinnamon

Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven at 375.  Pour chopped fruit I to greased 8 x 8 pan.  Mix flour, oil, lemon zest and sweetener (go easy if you use stevia which can be a bit over powering - I prefer agave or plain brown sugar) adjust the flour so that the mixture looks crumbly.  Sprinkle over the fruit and dash a bit of cinnamon and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.  

Easy French Toast Casserole

I know I must be doing something right when my foodie sister tells me the gluten free vegan concoction I whipped up Mother's Day is actually more than acceptable. For this reason alone, I'm posting in honor of Mother's Day!!💐

1 loaf of Udis white sandwich bread, torn in quarters

12 tablespoons of Veganegg plus 3 cups water or 6 large eggs

1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups almond milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup chopped almonds 

1/2 cup raisins or crasins 

Cinñamon to taste

Preheat oven at 450. Grease 9-13 pan.  Melt butter and stir in sugar till dissolved.  Pour sugar mixture on bottom of pan and arrange torn bread on top.  Mix up Veganegg with water or beat six eggs.  Add vanilla and pour over bread.  Sprinkle cinnamon, nuts and raisins.  Let soak for 8 hours or over night.  Bake till puffy or about 30 minutes.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

Well.....this was a total find!  Thank you Beth and Smittin Kitchen.  This is not your standard peanut butter cookie recipe so don't expect the same consistency.  This is a unique, totally yummy gluten free (a new thing in my life these days) version that is SUPER easy (I'm talkin total 5 ingredient, 1 bowl easy!)

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 3/4 cups golden brown sugar packed

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups smooth peanut butter (one of those 16 oz jars will do if you don't want to deal with the measuring)

Medium grind sea salt for dusting

Preheat oven at 350.  Line baking pan with parchment paper.

In a glass bowl, whisk eggs with the brown sugar until smooth.  Wish in the vanilla.  Wish in the peanut butter (LOL.... Not an easy task!) until it is smooth and there are no ribbons of either mixture.  Should be the consistency of Play Dough but it's ok if it is a bit more runny. I put mine in the freezer for about 20 minutes then it was perfect for scooping out little balls.  I'd highly recommend putting it back in the freeze while they bake so the consistency stays firm.  

Scoop out little balls and place them on parchment paper.  Sprinkle on a little salt and bake for 13 to 15 minutes for the little balls.  Once they are done let them cool so they set.  They are crunchy on the outside and chewy in the center and totally wonderful!

Szarlotka (Polish apple cake)

Yes....I have nothing better to do these days than to spend 2 days cooking for a silent auction dinner.  In the middle of my kitchen at 10 am, I was wondering what the heck was I thinking.  This was due in large part to my desire to do it "authentic" and playing guessing games with the metric system and my recipes.

This beautiful cake is curtesy of my pal Jola (the Jola who lives in Clovis and not the one in Warsaw....if you have been keeping score).  She was kind enough to call her Mom and get the perfect recipe.

Here it is with the non metric measurements:

3 c flour

1/2 c butter 

2 tsp baking powder

2 heaping Tbsp sour cream (or plain yogurt ....which I used since it was organic)

1/2 c powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients then divide into two balls (2/3rds and 1/3rd) and put in fridge for an hour. 

When chilled take the larger ball and press it into a greased spring form pan.  Prick with fork and bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Grate on the largest holes  8 large apples.  Squeeze a little lemon and sprinkle 2 to 3 tsps of cinnamon on top. Toss.

Place apples on top of the cooked crust then grate the last ball of dough so iris crumbles on top and bake again for 30 to 45 minutes until golden brown.

Grilled Eggplant and Yogurt Sauce

Inspired again with my OOOOBY box and the pile of basil and the big fat eggplant, I tried a wonderful new recipe I found in my Cooking Light magazine (but you know me.....put a Dana spin on it!)

1 large eggplant, sliced with skins

Olive oil 

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp amino acid (or soy sauce)

1/2 tsp crushed red peppers

1 1/2 plain organic nonfat yogurt

1/2 c. chopped basil

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Sea salt and pepper

Prep the eggplant after you slice it by sprinkling with salt.  Let it "sweat" the rinse and dry.  Add a little olive oil in the pan and lightly fry the eggplant until golden brown.  Blot well and cool.  Set aside and sprinkle a little sea salt.  

Mix up all of the remaining ingredients but retain about 2 tbsps of basil.  Drizzle over the eggplant and sprinkle the basil over the top.  Serve at room temperature.

Chicken Breasts with Feta and Figs

Well folks you can't get any more Central Valley than a dish with figs.  It's safe to say that I have made a ton of recipes with figs but this one is new to me and came to me compliments of the @FresnoBee.  Really yummy and served with grilled okra and steamed potatoes from my Ooooby shipment!

4 5 to 6oz chicken breasts, skinless, boneless

Salt and pepper (sea salt is a must)

2tsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 cloves of garlic chopped

4 tbsp of EVO (I used the amazing olive oil I smuggled home from my uncle in Croatia!)

2 oz crumbled feta

1 1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 c white wine (they said red but I only had white home)

8 fresh figs, cut and diced (lovely figs from Kevin and Diane Herman's farm)

1 tbsp honey

Sprig of rosemary for garnish

Pound chicken to flatten but don't make too thin.  Place chicken in bowl with salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic, 2 tbsp oil and 1/4 c wine.  Toss and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Cook chicken in 2 tbsp oil till light brown. Place in oven proof pan like shingles and sprinkle with feta.

Pour remaining wine in pan to deglaze and reduce to half of the volume.  Add thyme, honey and figs, sauté will warm and soft.  Pour over chicken and feta.  Place under broiler to brown and top with sprig

Power Chicken Enchilladas

Coming home from Poland, my first thought goes to Mexican food.  Fresno is the motherland of Mexican food and seriously......nothing else will do!  My dear friend decided to cheer me out of my Mexican food blues by taking me to the "Tia Juana" in Warsaw.  Let's just say......I was lucky it didn't effect me like my meal from a street vendor in Cabo!  When in Poland - eat Polish food.  

Enough said.

I digress.......ok so I was inspired and made th is mostly organic chicken enchiladas.  They are super easy and fill the bill for those of us who have Mexican food withdrawal.

4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped

4 c. power greens (kale, chard, etc.)

2 c. (or 2 cans) green enchilada sauce*

12 oz. bag of shredded Mexican cheese

1/2 round of queso fresco*

16 small flour tortillas (you may need more or less)

A few shakes of hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Non stick spray

Cook the power greens till tender.  Toss with chopped chicken, crumbled queso fresco, 8 oz of shredded cheese, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and about a 1/4 cup of the enchillada sauce.  Pour a little sauce on the bottom of the pan (which has been sprayed with Pam or a non stick spray.). Add a few tablespoons of chicken mixture in to a tortilla, roll and place in the pan.  When pan filled, top with remaining cheese and pour remaining sauce on top.  It should make two 9x13 pans....more or less if you don't roll them tightly.  Bake at 350  for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Photo forthcoming.... Enjoy!

*not organic

 

I'm Baaaaaaaccccckkkkkk!

Well.... It's been a while (sarcastic understatement) during which I completed my dissertation (which I foolishly thought would be a bunch of 30 page weekend papers HA) and had a lovely restful 10 pound gain trip to Europe . I am back and ready to tackle new, exciting food adventures!! God bless my sister who dragged my sorry rear to the Fresno    Food Expo.... I was inspired!  So get ready Fresno. I'm BACK. Get ready to EAT fresh and local!!

Back in to the "holiday" land of the living

So... Did ya miss me? I can say I was too busy with school to blog but I have not been too busy to eat. Having a husband who MUST eat all Non-GMO and organic has made some of our meal choices more adventurous. Many intersting choices and a few epic fails. I thought I would comment on a recent experiment. I am posting the link to a recipe and want to note I did organic spinach, jalapeño and cheddar rather than cauliflower, mushroom and goat cheese. Substitute accordingly :-)

See http://nourishnetwork.com/2014/03/21/broccoli-cheddar-quiche-quinoa-crust/

So... My crust was strange. I thought it was good but Wojtek called it "interesting".  Worth a try for those of you trying to go gluten free!

Plum Custard Gallette (Willey Test Kitchen) - Happy 4th

Between Mizuno Farms and T&D Willey Farms, I am flush with plums.  For anyone who knows me well....I was "traumatized" as a grade schooler and won't eat plums raw (let's just say, it's Adam and Eve all over....complete with a snake!)

Thanks to denesse and their "test kitchen" my plums have a beautiful purpose!  This recipe is a keeper.

1 single pie crust

4 oz cream cheeses

1/2 c sugar

1 to 1 1/2 c sliced plums

2 small organic eggs

1/2 c organic half and half

1/2 tsp good quality vanilla

Prepare pie crust (or buy one like I did....but it has to be the roll kind). Place crust in greased 9 inch pan.  Do not flute and leave a 1 to 2 inch overhang.  Preheat oven to 425.  In a mixer or food processor, beat cream until smooth, add sugar and continue to beast.  Add eggs one at a time then beat in the half and half plus the vanilla.  Arrange plums on the bottom of the pie pan.

 Be careful not to over fill the fruit or there won't be room for all the custard.  This is where I went a little nuts....oh well.  Place pie pan a baking sheet.  Carefully pour the custard over the fruit then gently fold over the crust.  

Pinch together if necessary .  Brush with half and half. Then sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 10 minutes at 425 then reduce to 350 and bake until custard is set and plumbs are juicy (about 40 minutes total.  Transfer to rack and cool.

Stone Fruit Strudel (in honor of the start of World Cup)

Let it not be said that I would pass up an opportunity to be uber Croatian!  Tomorrow is the opening game for World Cup Soccer and my favorite team plays Brazil. Naturally, I am talking about my wild eyed temperamental Croatian team! I won't watch just any old soccer team.... It's got to be THIS team. 

So.... I found out this fan thing is in my blood.  See http://www.likecroatia.com/news-tips/top-ten-reasons-to-date-a-croatian/. Turns out this is what WE DO (the rest of the article is pretty spot on too).  That takes us to food.... We COOK anything!

So here is a batch of stone fruit strudel. A little time consuming in the beginning but the flavor is better with the long term cooking:

8 Santa Rosa plumbs, cut in cubes. Thank you Kevin and Greg Mizuno (Mizuno Farms) for the outstanding fruit!

1/2 organic sugar

1 crockpot....place the above in the crock pot on low for 3.5 hours, stirring occasionally to cook this down to a roasted jam like consistency.

Next:

1 sleeve of frozen FILO dough thawed

4 large peaches, cut in bite size pieces

1 T slivovica, loza or good brandy

2 cubes of butter melted

Powdered sugar 

Add sliced peaches to the cooled and cooked plumb mixture, toss to coat.  Add slivo or brandy and toss again. If it looks more juice than fruit... Add more fruit. Next batch I will add a little lemon zest.

Take 10 sheets and layer them and dot with butter.  Spoon fruit along the long side of the FILO and roll up jelly roll style. Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat as this should make 3 rolls. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 and top with powdered sugar when cool. Cut in to 2 inch slices and serve.

"Magic Cake" (a fast version of kremsnita)

Marcie (who I worked with) noticed I haven't been blogging recently. Perhaps it was because I was deathly afraid I would add an APA citation and a few footnotes since 99% of what I have been writing lately has been related to my dissertation .... So for Marcie and for all of you who think I may have dropped off the planet, I am blogging my latest find: magic cake (which tastes similar to kremsnita.... A very tasty cake from Northern Croatia)

4 eggs separated at room temp 

3/4 c sugar

1 stick of butter melted (1/2 c)

1 tsp good vanilla

3/4 c all purpose flour

2 c lukewarm milk

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat yolks with sugar. Add melted butter and flour. Beat until mixed.

Slowly add milk and continue to mix.  Add in vanilla .... Be sure to use really good vanilla (thank you Anita for that wonderful bottle of vanilla).

Fold in half of the whites, a third at a time.  Fold in the batter, a third at a time and mix gently.  Pour in to greased 8x8 pan. Bake for 40 minutes and until golden brown on top.

Cool and dust with powders sugar. Delish with sliced fruit on top.

Easter Bread (Sirnica) - The Sequel!

There are many, many obligations in my life now and, sad to say, I don't blog like I used to....we can all thank the doctoral program in educational leadership at Fresno State!  However, there are just some things that MUST go to the top of the list.....like going to Stations of the Cross and heading home to make Sirnica.

Well....I was missing my grandmothers (Grammie and Baba) when I dragged out the family recipe so I decided to toast them both (with that homemade slivovica from Boris poured in to two of Grammie's glasses: one for the Bakas and one for me). I then headed outside to talk to the dog and dress us alike for the occasion (note the bright pink bandanas).  Bissou was not impressed but it lifted my melancholy .

I left him outside to chase the ducks and went to work on my bread.

This year's bread is a bit different.  I "strayed" from the Jerkovič recipe and chose to use my Mom's from the now out of print family cookbook (long painful story about my short lived career as a publisher LOL).  I have separated the steps in the ingredients....like my Mom does.

Next, turn on some Oliver (or go to You Tube and play one of his older pop songs. Oliver is sort of like the Cro version of Sinatra).  Turn it up.  You'll suddenly get the urge to talk with your hands and swear about the underwear of saints (another long story).  Next step, walk over and shut the windows and doors .....cause you don't want any Propuh in the house......

Now...get baking!

Sretan Uskrs!

(#1)

1/2 c warm water

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp salt

3 packages of fresh yeast (old stuff will kill ya!)

1/2 c flour

(#2)

1 1/2 cubes of butter

1/2 c regular milk

1 c sugar

6 oz evaporated milk

(#3)

3 whole eggs (organic is best)

1 egg separated (save whites for brushing tops)

Zest of one orange

Juice of one orange

1/2 lemon zested

1 T anise flavoring

1/2 c sugar

4 oz slivovica (or high quality booze that is lighter colored, like a brandy.  NO vodka or gin. Yuck!  If also used some tangello from my pal Robyn)

2 1/2 c flour (to start....more like 5 c all together)

Take top section and place in a bowl and mix to a batter.  Place batter in a quiet warm spot (you may have to move a sleeping Croatian.....they like those spots for naps. Mom says try the oven (which should be off!)

Move to group two and place them in a sauce pan and mix and warm till butter is melted.  Keep on low and don't boil.

Take all of the final group (#3) BUT the flour and mix them in a very large bowl.  Slowly mix in the sauce pan stuff alternating with sifted flour.  Should be a batter at this point.  Mix in the batter next to the sleeping Croatian guy ...the stuff in the off oven).  Mix well and add flour until it makes a soft dough.  Fold on to a floured surface and kneed for 8 to 10 minutes.  Place dough in greased bowl and let raise for about an hour.

Punch down and shape in to round loaves.  I put mine in cereal bowls or those tin foil baking pans. Let ire to double their size while preheating oven to 350.  Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Note: about 10 minutes before complete, brush with egg whites and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Heaven when toasted.  Dobar tek!

Turkish Coffee (Turska kava) ....by request!

I have been asked a zillion time by my non-Croatian friends how to make my Turkish coffee (Turska kava, aka "that muddy coffee").  Most recently my dear pal and "sista from anotha blista" asked how she could replicate a little Dubrovnik in Poolville, Texas.......... so here it is, complete with an instructional video (in two parts with a bonus "Wojtek's version").

Here's what you need before you start:

• 1 Turkish coffee pot (I like them small and under 12 oz, available at the middle eastern stores if you are not lucky enough to get it in Croatia)
• Sugar cubes
• Dark roasted coffee with a specific "Turkish grind" (I prefer Jubilarna Fine Ground Coffee from Franck available at Minos Imports)
• Water

Ma' boys and da gumbo!

It isn't every day that we actually get BOTH of our boys over for dinner (typically it's the heavily orchestrated holiday dinner.... Or a drive by).  With that in mind and noting the season, we are having gumbo, jambalaya, sautéed spinach and corn bread. Guess my southern (Croatian) roots are showing .....

1/2 c flour

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c chopped celery

3/4 c chopped yellow peppers

1 T garlic minced (I added double)

2 T hot sauce

1/4 t of both thyme, cayenne pepper and oregano 

1/3 t salt

1/4 t white pepper

3/4 chopped tomatoes 

6 c of chicken stock

1/2 lb chopped chicken

1/2 lb shrimp

1 T file

Add oil and chopped veggies (no tomatoes) and lightly sautée. Add flour and spices then continue stirring until deep golden brown. Do not burn!  

Add broth, tomatoes and meats. Summer for 15 minutes.  Add a little warm broth to a cup and stir in the file to make a paste.  Add paste to gumbo. Simmer for another 30 minutes and pour over cooked rice (mine looks like a rich stew!)

Yummy!

Next up Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya 

Nothing says LOVE like Lasagna!

My husband has become quite the cook.  I on the other hand have become a bad blogger thanks to my studies.  I'm sorry all....when the dissertation is done, I promise you an abundance of happy, healthy recipes.  For now, Hubby is the King of the Kitchen.....quite to my surprise.....and to the shock of my whole family.

As most of you know, Hubby likes to hunt (wild game) and, as such, I have been blessed with a full freezer.  He tells me that I am suppose to drain the freezer before summer.....oh good luck!

This weekend he treated me to an amazing marinara sauce that I turned in to lasagna the second night (because we ALL know that the sauce is better on Day Two!):

3 lbs. ground meat (deer from Montana)
4 onions, coarsely chopped
2 bell peppers (red and green), coarsely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
7 splashes of Maggi
Big sprig of rosemary
Bunch of fresh basil
3 small sprigs of oregano
3 or 4 healthy shakes of Slap Yo Mama seasoning
1 tsp or 2 of Vegeta ('cause we all know you can't cook in our house without it)
4 Tbsp olive oil (note this goes up or down depending on the meat....which is very lean!)
4 cans of organic tomato sauce

Put the oil in the pan and saute all the veggies and herbs.  When onions are translucent, add the meat and brown.  When browned, put in crock pot, season the heck out of it and add 4 regular cans of organic tomato sauce.  Cook for 6 hours on low.

Now on to the lasagna.....in our house this is a VERY big deal.  My Mom's lasagna is TOPS.  It is the requested items at your birthday dinner and only around for special occasions.  It is LOVE on the plate.  I am really, really lazy so I do not go through all the trouble to boil the noodles, etc. so when Hubby finished the sauce, I found a super easy way to make lasagna.  For the record, my Mom and Dad both loved it and even my Teta Bunny thought it was tasty (she is an excellent cook)....rave reviews all around.

1 package of O'Solo Mio lasagna noodles (ready to use, fresh pasta)
2 8 oz packages of grated cheese (Italian blend is best)
2 to 3 c of my husband's sauce
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
Pam

Spray 9 x 13 with Pam.  Put a big spoon of sauce on the bottom.  Layer the noodles then add sauce and cheese.  Repeat and add a tin layer of spinach.  Repeat and top with more cheese.  Bake at 350 about an hour and until the center is warm.

Elk Paprikás

After a bit of a hiatus, I am attempting to start the year off with a journey back to my kitchen. After completing my comprehensive exams last Saturday, I thought "I need a serious mental holiday"....cooking restores my sanity (or at least the amount of sanity I am capable of!).

I dusted off a few of my favorite cookbooks and found nothing new enough for my BOLD return so I pulled out my Gundel's Hungarian Cookbook (bought on a trip to Budapest in 2000).  Gundel was one of Hungary's premier chefs whose book was first published in 1934 .....45 editions later, it is in my kitchen!

In all of our wild European adventures, nothing compares to the food in Budapest.  Such flavors and OH-My-GOD the wine and the music were divine!  The stories we could tell (such as taking a huge risk and booking a room in remote, little recommended pension in the center of the old district.....turned out to be a 900 year old castle and the only place to sleep other than the communist-style Hilton!)

Gundel also has a wonderful restaurant in the newer section of town http://www.gundel.hu/en/ 

Elk Paprikás

7 T lard (I use olive oil since lard grosses me out)

1 onion finely chopped

3 tsp paprika

2 - 2.5 lbs cubed elk (or you can use lamb or beef)

1 medium fresh tomato

1 c finely chopped bell pepper (I used red)

1/4 c flour

1 1/4 c sour cream

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Brown the veggies and set aside. Onions should be slightly brown. Brown the cubed meat.  Combine the two sets in a Dutch oven or in a crock pot and cook on simmer until meat is tender.  In the crock pot, this easy and you can just set it on low for 4 hours or so.  The difference between a Paprikás and a Pörkölt is that a Paprikás is more of a gravy and, as such, when the dish is ready, you must mix the flour and sour cream together and stir in to the cooked meat. 

The cookbook suggests serving with galushka dumplings but rice or boiled potatoes are also nice.  There is some "issue" in Eastern Europe with sour cream served with green salad..... But I'm going with a big green salad!

Always a rebel :-)

How to make White Chocolate Cashew Brittle

This is Stephanie, my (very talented) sister's recipe (from the family cookbook):

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T corn syrup
3 T water
1 c. toasted cashews
32 oz. white chocolate

Enjoy (and get a look at the "bed head" LOL)
Thanks Stephanie

Pumpkin decorations?

What to do.... Christmas decorations up but thanksgiving leftovers and decorations are all over the place. Came up with a little fun one: twice baked pumpkins!

While you are making you big batch of stock and putting up your tree, cut the top off your baby pumpkins, scoop out the seeds then bake  for 40 minutes at 350.

When cooled, scrape the pumpkin in to a bowl and add the equal amount of left over mashed potatoes and about 1/4 c of shredded cheese per pumpkin (assuming these are the little one that are about 4 inches high). Mix with a little olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper then stuff the pumpkin shells and bake until warm throughout.

Millet & Pumpkin Winter Salad

Just in time for my Thanksgiving planning, my new assistant brought in her latest creation.  Oh yummy yummy....Millet and Pumpkin salad.  I was graced with a little bowl of this today (thanks Beth) and it is now going to be on my Thanksgiving table.  Here is the recipe:

Winter Millet Salad

Serves 4
1 butternut squash
100 g raw hazelnuts
2 avocados, diced
1 small romanesco broccoli, broke into bite-size florets
2 handfuls purple grapes, cut in half
2 handfuls green leaves, we used beetroot leaves
1 pomegranate, seeds
1 handful basil, finely chopped
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juice
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper 

1 cup (240 ml) raw millet (any color will work)

Chunky Herb Dressing

Prepare the butternut by trimming off the top and bottom and cutting it in half crosswise and lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and remove the tough peel with a sharp knife or a peeler. Cut into 1 x 1-inch (2 x 2 cm) dices. Place on an oven tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sea salt. Bake on 400 F° (200°C) for 20-30 minutes or until soft and slightly brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

The last 10 minutes of baking time, place the hazelnut on a separate baking tray, sprinkle with salt and toast until skin cracks and browned. Remove and let cool slightly, rub between a rough cloth or kitchen towel to remove the skin. Chop coarsely.

Rinse the millet in a sieve with boiling water, then place in a small saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let gently simmer for 10-15 minutes or until soft and the water is gone.

Prepare the avocados, romanesco, grapes, green leaves and pomegranate and Herb Dressing. Place the cooked millet in a large bowl, add the herb dressing and mix with your hands to make sure all millet is coated with dressing. Add all ingredients to the millet mixture and gently fold to combine. Serve!