roasted sweet plantains, pecan, and millet salad

from vegetable kingdom

i love a good grain salad, they are tasty for any meal and can be brought to work easily. i made this one before a swing shift and it was perfect, the parsley adds unexpected freshness to sweet plantain pieces and toasted pecans.

makes 4 to 6 servings

2 large, ripe yellow plantains

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 cup pearl millet, soaked in water plus 1 tablespoon vinegar overnight

2 cups water

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 tablespoons minced parsley

Sweet Parsley Vinaigrette (below)

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup parsley leaves

Make the salad: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice off the ends of each plantain, score the peel in four even strips, lengthwise, and remove the strips. Cut the plantain into quarters, lengthwise, and slice them into bite-size pieces. In a bowl, toss the plantains with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and roast, stirring a few times to ensure even roasting, until starting to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.

While the plantains are roasting, drain the millet. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, toast the millet, occasionally shaking the pan to ensure even cooking, until the millet smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Add the water and 1/2 teaspoon salt, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Immediately decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a fine-mesh sieve, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside to thoroughly drain for 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.

Add the pecans, minced parsley, baked plantains, and half of the vinaigrette to the millet and toss to combine. Taste and add additional vinaigrette if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley leaves.

"Manteca" by Quincy Jones from You've Got It Bad Girl

sweet parsley vinaigrette

makes 1⁄2 cup (you will only need half of this for the above recipe)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons dark agave nectar

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, parsley, mustard, and agave nectar. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

"Tasty (feat. Seneca B)" by Omaure from Square One