Roasted Veggie, Quinoa, Millet & Arugula Salad

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on Good Things Grow, another great blog I've discovered!  I substituted many of the vegetables the recipe suggests for whatever I had in the fridge from the CSA.  I replaced the sweet potato with a regular potato (which I thought would be bland, but my husband said the potatoes were his favorite part of the whole dish).  I used beets to add some sweetness, and then awesome purple and orange carrots I had gotten from the CSA a few weeks ago.  They were so pretty :)

I realize millet may be hard to find for a lot of you, so this would be fine if you use all quinoa.  For those of you close to a Whole Foods, they have millet in the bulk section (quinoa too).

for the salad

• 1 bunch carrots, sliced
• 2 potatoes, washed and sliced
• 3 beets, roasted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup millet
• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 bunch arugula, washed and trimmed

for the dressing

• juice of a lime
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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1.  Heat oven to 425F.

2.  Wash beets (and cut tops off if necessary).  Wrap the beets in foil, sprinkle with grapeseed oil and roast until fork tender (45-60 minutes).

3.  Chop the carrots and potatoes and place on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands until everything is well coated, then place in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until just tender, stirring half way through.

Awesome carrots before they were chopped

I'm obsessed with these purple and orange Clemson carrots I got from the CSA (ok, they aren't really called Clemson carrots, but I have decided that is the best name for them).

Ready for baking!

4.  In the meantime, rinse and drain the millet and quinoa. Place in a small sauce pan and add the water. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Use a fork to fluff up and check for doneness. Set aside to cool slightly.

5.  In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you go. Stir in the salt and pepper.

6.  When the beets are finished roasting, remove the skins and chop.

7.  Place all the veggies and the millet/quinoa mix into a large serving bowl and toss together. Pour in the dressing and toss so everything gets well coated. Serve over arugula with extra lime wedges if you wish.

Health Benefits

Millet - Many of you may not have heard of millet before, but it is an awesome gluten-free grain!  It protects your heart, lowers diabetes risk and helps to prevent gallstones.  Read more here.

Quinoa - This is also another gluten free grain that is very healthy for you!  It is full of nutrients and is a complete protein source (unlike most grains).  It also has more calcium than most grains.  More on quinoa here.