I present to you…
Healthy. Winter. Cozy. Comfort. Food.
For you.
And me.
And mah belly.
Am I the only one who occasionally screams Get in mah belly a la Austin Powers before I eat a good meal?
I thought so.
Let’s talk go-to meals. What are yours? Lately mine are big vegan bowls made up with a base of grains, sautéed vegetables/protein, and a tasty sauce to tie it all together. I can thank Fresh restaurant for my little obsession with bowls. I like to make them at home for a fraction of the cost. There’s just something so satisfying about digging into a huge bowl with a seemingly bottomless pit, isn’t there? Plus, bowls can be changed up countless ways, so you never get bored. Although, I could probably eat the same combo for a few weeks straight without blinking an eye…
During the winter I tend to crave hot, stick-to-your-ribs bowls and in the summer I crave cold, lighter bowls. This is a stick-to-your-ribs kinda bowl…the bowl you make when your house is frigid and no matter how many layers you have on, you can’t shake the chill from your bones. That kind of night calls for a gravy bowl.
And guess what? It just happens to be good for you.
For the base, I used fluffy millet. This is different from the scorched millet which was my first attempt. Fluffy millet is also different from the overcooked mushy millet which was my second attempt. When you don’t forget to set the timer and leave the room, it’s light and fluffy like quinoa, but heartier and denser, in a stick-to-your-ribs kind of way that is perfect for the colder months. If millet isn’t your thing, you can easily change up the grain. Quinoa, rice, barley, noodles, etc would all work well here.
I topped the millet with a healthy but rich mushroom gravy and kale for a pop of super power. Easy but fabulous.
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Cozy Millet Bowl with Mushroom Gravy and Kale
Yield
2 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Feeling cozy? Snuggle up with this comforting bowl of vegan goodness. The dish feels rich without the heaviness that usually comes with traditional gravy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked millet (makes ~2 cups cooked)
- 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped sweet onion (1 medium onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups sliced crimini mushrooms (300 grams)
- 1.5 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1.5 tbsp low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 & 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup fresh chopped kale, stems removed
- Freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt, to taste
Directions
- Toast millet (optional): In a pot or skillet with a lid, toast the millet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it starts popping. Be careful you don’t burn it. The goal here is a light toast. Remove from heat. Cook millet: Bring a medium-sized pot of 1 cup water, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup uncooked millet to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with tight-fitting lid (with no air holes). Simmer for 15-20 minutes or so. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes covered. Remove lid and fluff with fork. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, grab a large skillet and heat oil over medium heat. Add in chopped onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 12 minutes longer, stirring as necessary. Now stir in the rosemary, nutritional yeast, and tamari. Cook for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch until clumps are gone, and then stir into the mushroom mixture. Stir in kale. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or so, until slightly thickened. Portion millet into two bowls and serve the mushroom gravy on top.
Tip:
This mushroom gravy just screams comfort food. Check out this deliciousness…
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)Approx Nutritional Info (per serving, serves 2): 355 kcals, 4 grams fat, 63 grams carbs, 11 grams fibre, 6 grams sugar, 16 grams protein.
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This mushroom gravy just screams comfort food. Check out this deliciousness…
If I didn’t have any millet, I would’ve happily enjoyed this gravy all on it’s own. :)
Divide the millet into two bowls and then pour on the gravy mixture on top. That’s all there is to it.
Another massive hit in my house!
I swapped barley for millet (quinoaed out as of late and have yet to pick up millet), the barley made a really nice base. Stick to your ribs kind of comfort in the cold weather warning mess.
With your recipes I double/triple the size and make a big pot on Sunday to feed me at work for the week. I bulked this one with the addition of leeks and it was a really great texture/flavour addition!
I used dehydrated mixed wild mushrooms (a handy Costco buy) and used the water from rehydrating in place of the broth so there was some serious mushroom power (the left over broth was mixed in to the barley water).
A new lunch favourite, I usually have them swooning over the Carrot Apple Soup or vegan chilli but this is the new star- and coming from a girl who never like mushrooms!
Many thanks.
Brigid
I made this for lunches this week. Deelish! I added some asparagus and thyme to the mix too. The flavor is like a risotto that I used to make.
This was delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation :)
I made this tonight and we loved it. I used barley, added a little more kale to the gravy and a splash of red wine. It was delicious!
This was delicious!!! We made it for dinner and LOVED it! Thanks for the great, yummy, and wholesome recipes!
This dish was fan-TAS-tic!! I loved the flavour of the gravy. The only thing that went awry was that my millet didn’t quite cook all the way through, but now I know for next time. Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe, Angela!
Angela! This was DELICIOUS! We were out of millet, so I just stirred in a 1/2 cup of quinoa, which worked just as well. I had been craving a creamy mushroom dish, and this did the trick. Thank you!
Wow, sounds so delicious! I don’t like mushrooms so would probably swap for some crispy tofu or something, yum! :D xxx
Hi – Your soups, oats, and salads are so yummy. Have you ever found a way to make a vegan clam chowder? or corn chowder? There are a few rainy days on the coast that I would love to cozy up with a good bowl of creamy soup.
Thanks for any tips!
Kay
I havent made it but I certainly should!
Just made this for my lunch – perfect for a chilly, rainy Thursday! Absolutely delicious! I had to sub in fresh shiitake mushrooms and only had dried rosemary, but it turned out great.
I gave this a whirl tonight and it was a hit with my mom and brother! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this for dinner tonight. My husband said 1) This is five stars. I want you to write this down. 2) This is just like my mom’s roast, rice, and gravy. 3) I would eat vegan all the time if this were the standard.
Thanks!
now that’s a rave review! Glad to hear it :)
made this today and it was soooo yum! for once i was able to turn out something that looked exactly like the picture in the recipe, so i was quite proud :) thanks for a delicious dinner!
I just tried this recipe this afternoon, and my meat loving husband flipped with delight! He practically licked the pan! My only recommendation for those of you who may have a spouse with a rather large appetite like mine is to maybe double up on the millet. Thank you for yet another “keeper”!
yay!
With the recent cold snap, this was a terrific way to get some cozy! I tinkered with the recipe, but really enjoyed it. You were right: rich but not heavy. Yum! Thanks for sharing it with us!
I wrote about it here: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/millet-bowl-with-mushroom-gravy-and-kale/
I made this tonight with couscous because my millet was mushy. I steamed more kale in vegetable broth and it was delicious!
Oh my word! I made this for dinner tonight (except I used brown instead of millet, since I had it on hand) and holy smokes was it good! So rich and creamy, so decadent and comforting!! Just what I was hoping for! And while I’m commenting I must say, I too am (er, was?) a salt n vinegar chip fanatic, but I just made your salt n vinegar roasted chickpeas too, and wow! As if I wasn’t already in love with chickpeas, this just sealed the deal! And your chocolate coconut butter banana bites? Heaven! Even my non-vegan, non-banana-liking friends called these suckers “scrumptious”!! These, plus many more of your recipes have helped me find some phenomenal vegan meals I love to prepare week after week, plus show friends that not all vegan food is bland or gross! P.S. (cuz this comment obviously isn’t long enough yet) My mother is Canadian, a Montreal baby actually, and after showing her “Forks Over Knives,” I showed her your blog, once she saw you were Canadian, she was all “say no more honey, I trust this woman- she’s a Canadian!” so thanks for opening my mom’s eyes to the wonderful world of veganism as well!!
aww that’s cute! Thanks for sharing. So glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Angela, I have been enjoying your blog the past couple of days (just discovered it looking for a recipe). Tonight I was trying to find a millet recipe. This one sounds really incredible! Thanks! Mushrooms are one of my favorites, and as far as I know the only plant based source of vitamin D. BTW, I just cooked up a batch of millet in my rice cooker- no timers, no worries- seems like it came out perfect. Thanks for a really great blog- beautiful pictures, great looking recipes and you are an inspiration!
Thank you so much Mychael! That means so much to me. :)
I made this tonight. It was amazing and very comforting like you said. I doubled the recipe. I used 1/2 cup red wine for some of the broth. I also used mushroom broth instead of veggie. I don’t like kale, so I used spinach. It was so good. Very flexible recipe. It actually tasted beefy. Thanks for sharing!!