< Back

Avocado, Millet and Peppery Leaves

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes, plus 5 minutes standing.
 
Serves 4 as a side dish or starter, 2 as a main course

Ingredients:

  • 125g (4oz) millet
  • a few pine nuts
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 85g (3oz) packet of rocket, watercress and other leaves
  • grated zest and juice of juice of 1 lemon or lime
  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

A salad of fluffy cooked millet with hot leaves such as watercress, wild rocket or a mixture, and some buttery avocado, dressed with lime and topped with toasted pine nuts.

Boil a kettle. Put the millet into a sieve and rinse under the cold tap then tip the millet into a saucepan and stir over a moderate heat for 3–4 minutes until the millet has dried and is beginning to smell toasted.

Pour 300ml (½ pint) of boiling water into the millet. Be prepared for the mixture to seethe and steam as the water is added – the steam can be very hot so protect your hand if necessary. Add a pinch of salt, cover the pan and leave to cook gently for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes – the millet will become dry and fluffy.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts. Spread them out on a dry baking sheet and put under a hot grill for a minute or so. As soon as they turn golden (watch them carefully), remove them from the grill and tip into a cold dish so they don't go on cooking and burn.
 
Peel and slice the avocado. Mix the avocado and leaves gently with the millet; drizzle the lime juice and olive oil over the top, add the lime zest, sprinkle with salt, grind over some pepper and toss gently. Sprinkle with the nuts and serve.

Taken from Rose Elliot’s Low-GI Vegetarian Cookbook, published by BBC Books.