A healthy, light and sassy salad for these dark days of early winter. Broccolini, Basil & Millet Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing-a bright little jewel.
WINTER SALADS
As the days grow shorter a craving for sunshine and warmth comes over most of us. Instead of soups, a salad can be a bright spot in our darker days. My all-time favorite Preserved Lemons are blended to make a tart dressing that is tossed with baby broccolini, arugula, and herbs and is made substantial with the addition of the ancient millet, which is grain free. I have adapted a lovely salad from Neighborhood by Hetty McKinnon. Hetty has done a beautiful job of creating plant-based recipes that really make the meal. This recipe jumped out because I had everything in the fridge and any excuse to use my preserved lemons.
PRESERVED LEMONS
Of course I have a recipe to create your own preserved lemons, which are really quite easy. You many also purchase preserved lemons if you can’t wait the 2+ weeks for the lemons to cure. I use them in a multitude of recipes, such as Yogurt with Herbs & Preserved Lemon and Chicken Tagine with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon. You can also make a paste from the rinsed lemon skins and keep in a jar to brighten any dish where a bit of fresh lemon is needed, sunshine in a jar.
PLANT-BASED COOKING
I have spent my confinement months reading my cookbooks, finally. I enjoy sampling different cuisines, as you can see by the eclectic mix of recipes I post on the blog. Plant-based and grain-free is a newer exploration and this recipe fits into that wheel-house. I almost always have broccoli of some sort hanging around and preserved lemons are a pantry basic in the Bijouxs Kitchen. The salad was bright and delicious, and got approval from a friend who joined me for lunch a week ago, of course outdoors and 10+ feet away.
Strange times indeed, but the Little Jewels keep coming. Stay well and safe everyone.
As always, enjoy. B
