Mushroom Medley with Millet, Vegan, Gluten-Free

Mushroom Medley

I splurged on the most gorgeous mushrooms at the farmer’s market last weekend and had to make something special to celebrate them.

They were so pretty I almost didn’t want to cook them! I ended up using them in a simple Italian-style preparation with olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Very simple, very yummy.

Millet

I used millet for the first time in this recipe. Similar to quinoa, it is a cereal-grain that is a great source of plant-based protein. On it’s own, it is bland, but it will take on whatever flavors you give it.

Tip: If you like more of a fluffy quinoa-style texture, only cook the millet with 2 cups of liquid. If you like a thicker more polenta-style texture, use 3 cups of liquid and stir throughout the cooking process.

Mushroom Medley with Millet, Vegan, Gluten-Free

Ingredients

• 1 cup millet

• 2-3 cups low sodium vegetable or mushroom broth

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3-4 cups mushrooms of choice, rinsed and cleaned

• 4-6 campari tomatoes (or equivalent of different tomato), diced

• 1 shallot, sliced

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tsp dried oregano

• 2 tsp dried basil

• Olive oil, sea salt, and ground pepper to taste

• Optional: top millet with a spoonful or two of marinara sauce and top entire dish with vegan parmesan and/or fresh herbs

INSTRUCTIONS

• Prepare millet according to package instructions. Use 2 cups liquid for fluffy quinoa-style texture and 3 cups liquid for polenta-style texture. If using the latter, be sure to stir throughout cooking process.

• Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Once garlic is aromatic, add the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms over medium heat until all liquid is released and dried (roughly 10 minutes). Push mushrooms around to the perimeter of the pan.

• Add tomatoes, shallot, balsamic vinegar, and herbs, to the center of the pan. Saute for a few minutes before stirring in with the mushrooms.

• Add millet to serving dish. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and (optional) a spoonful of marinara sauce. Add mushroom mixture over-top the millet. Top with sea salt, ground pepper, and vegan parmesan and fresh herbs, if using.

• Enjoy!

Easy Pistachio Nice Cream

Ahhh, ice cream

If you’ve never tried pistachio ice cream, you’re really missing out. Pistachio ice cream is creamy deliciousness with a sweet and mildly nutty flavor, in a beautiful color to boot.

Unfortunately, however, eating ice-cream on the reg is frowned upon from a health perspective *sheds tear*. Ice-cream, shockingly, does not do the same wonders for the body as it does for the taste buds.

The saturated fat and high sugar content are likely to increase inflammation in your body, spike blood sugar levels, raise cholesterol levels, and promote weight-gain if consumed on a regular basis. Bummer, I know.

A healthier option

Enter pistachio NICE cream. This nice cream is much nicer to the body (hence the name). It’s vegan, gluten-free, sweetened naturally with whole foods, and has healthy fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber!

You get your healthy fats from the pistachios and avocado, fiber from the dates, avocado, nuts, spinach, and banana, protein from the nuts, avocado and spinach, and micronutrients from nearly all of the ingredients!

Okay, okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This nice cream is not magical, although it may taste like it! While it is healthier than its traditional ice cream counterpart, you still want to eat it in moderation. It’s still a dessert…though I may or may not have eaten it for breakfast (shhh).

The good news is that this is a dessert you can feel much better about indulging in. Knowing you’re getting a high dose of healthy nutrients along with your sweet treat makes it a done deal. These calories are not empty; they’re anti-inflammatory, whole plant-based foods that come from the earth and serve a purpose for your body. That’s what we like to hear!

So, without further ado, here it is - the easy peasy pistachio nice cream recipe. See optional variations listed at the end for ways to adjust this recipe to your convenience and liking.

Bon appetit!

PISTACHIO NICE CREAM (V, GF)

Adapted from Nutriholist’s Pistachio Rose Cardamom Ice Cream

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

*Note: I recommend using organic ingredients whenever possible

• 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

• 1 cup raw pistachios + 1/4 cup for topping

• 1 cup spinach

• 1 ripe avocado

• 1 small banana

• 1/2 cup dates, pitted

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• (Optional) Additional sweetener depending how “nice” you want your nice cream! (**see variations)

Directions

*Note: if you have a big enough high-power blender, you may be able to blend all the ingredients well enough at once. You can also try a food processor. Otherwise, follow broken down steps as listed.

1. Add coconut milk, 1 cup of pistachios, and spinach to blender. Blend until smooth

2. Add avocado and banana. Blend until smooth

3. Add dates and additional sweetener if desired (**see variations). Blend until smooth

4. Sneak a taste. Proceed to Step 5 if flavor and sweetness jive to your liking

5. Pour the milkshake-like concoction into a 5″x 7″ (or similar size) freezer safe container and freeze for a few hours or overnight

6. About 15 or more minutes before you’re ready to eat, remove nice cream from the freezer to let it soften. If impatient like me, microwave in 10-30 second intervals to desired softness. If you have the patience, you can also re-blend the nice cream to get an even smoother texture

7. Add remaining pistachios for topping

8. Enjoy!

Variations

Optional variations for this recipe include:

1. Use 2 bananas and omit dates

2. Use frozen bananas

3. Soak dates beforehand

4. Use all almond extract instead of almond and vanilla (or vice versa)

5. **Bump up the sweetness for naughtier nice cream

   • Suggested sweeteners: monkfruit sweetener, stevia, sweetened instead of unsweetened coconut milk, increase bananas, increase dates, honey (not vegan), or maple syrup (vegan)

     • Choose one, okay? Let’s not get crazy here (smh)

6. Double up on the spinach for an extra health factor

7. Halve the avocado for lower fat content

8. Use other preferred alternative milk of choice

9. Create your own variation - share what you create in the comments and @wellismore!