I can’t believe that I had eleven days off from work! But now I’m back at it, and how, but I was prepared. Last weekend I made a point to do some bulk cooking so that I could enjoy hearty, healthy meals all week.
- Grain 1: Brown Rice + Barley (1 cup each), 3 cups of water, a bit of avocado oil, 2 pinches of salt and a dash of cinnamon. Mix all in the rice cooker and cook on the brown rice setting. I’ve been enjoying steamed veggies with this grain mix.
- Grain 2: Steel cut oats + Amaranth (1 cup each), 3 cups of water, 1 tablespoon Earth Balance. Mix all in the rice cooker and cook on the brown rice setting. I reheat this with frozen fruit and a splash of almond milk for breakfast. Mmm Mmm.
- Lentils: 1 cup brown lentils, 2 tablespoons yellow miso, mixed in one cup of hot water + one additional cup of water. Mix all in the rice cooker and cook on the brown rice setting. When finished, fluff the lentils and stir in a splash of Shoyu sauce. I use these in “bowl” meals (with steamed veggies and grains) and I’ve also added the to veggie broth and about 1/4 cup of fresh salsa for a super-quick soup.
Clearly, the rice cooker needed a break. So I pulled out the pressure cooker for the next dish, which included beans and grains.
Flageolet Bean & Millet Stew
Keywords: pressure cooker, side, entree, soup/stew, vegan
Don’t be alarmed about the lack of measurements; I made this stew intuitively and suggest that you do the same. Use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Shallots
- Parsnip, diced
- Apple (I used a Gala), cored and diced
- Golden beet, diced
- Diced tomatoes (canned, I used about 1.5 cups)
- Flageolet beans (I think I used 1.5 – 2 cups), dry, soaked for 1 hour, rinsed and drained
- Millet, dry (I used 1/2 a cup), rinsed and drained
- Vegetable broth
- Water
- Bay leaf
- Fennel seed
- Thyme (dry)
- Sweet Basil (dry)
- Ground black pepper
- Lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat olive oil on medium high in the pressure cooker (uncovered)
- Add shallots and saute for just a few minutes
- Add parsnips, beets and apple and saute for 3 – 5 minutes
- Add beans, millet, diced tomatoes and spices (I used 1 t each)
- Cover with about 3 inches of liquid, I used a combo of vegetable broth and water
- Lock pressure cooker lid into place and bring to pressure
- Cook at pressure for 12 minutes
- Allow pressure to release naturally
- Remove the lid, away from you
- The beans will most likely still need to cook up a bit; place the uncovered pressure cooker back on the burner and turn the heat to simmer. Add fresh lemon juice, stir and then taste to determine the need for salt. This is where I was pleasantly surprised–there was no need for salt! (Your taste may vary.)
- Simmer until beans are tender.
- Serve and enjoy.
This subtly sweet but oh-so-savory stew is delicious served over a bed of raw baby spinach. The piping hot stew gently “steams” the spinach in the bowl and the result is a hearty, filling, warm meal.
Oh, my.
This stew is omnivore approved — and the resident meat-eater also opted to enjoy it without salt. So flavorful!
I always say that a few hours in the kitchen over the weekend is time well spent because I have such wonderful foods to enjoy throughout the week. How about you? Did you do any bulk cooking over the weekend? I could always use more ideas!
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