I know it’s a little early but I love fall flavors.  Squash, apples, pears, warm spicy and sweet they make me want to start a fire, curl up with a good book and eat to my hearts content.  The holidays aren’t that far away and they bring lots of opportunity to indulge but it’s nice to have options for lighter fare to keep things in check.  Rich earthy mushrooms, sweet butternut squash and tart pomegranates pair deliciously with the nutty flavor of millet.  Millet is gluten-free so it’s a great alternative if you are cooking for someone that is gluten intolerant.  Serve this for a healthy modern take on your usual stuffing, it might just start a new family tradition.

Millet pilaf with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms and pomegranate 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup millet

2 tablespoons olive oil divided

1 medium butternut squash

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (if you can find chanterelles they would be delicious)

1 cup pomegranate seeds

1/3  cup roasted pistachios

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Place squash on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the  sage and toss with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast, stirring once or twice until tender 15-20 minutes.

On a separate baking sheet, toss the mushrooms with 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Spread the mushrooms in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes. 

To prepare the millet bring 1 quart of water to a boil.  Season the water generously with salt as you would for cooking pasta.  Add the millet and cook for 13 minutes.  Drain the millet into a fine sieve and then place the sieve back over the pot and let steam for an additional 10 minutes until fluffy and dry.

Place the millet in a large bowl and add the squash, mushrooms, parsley and pomegranate, drizzle the balsamic and remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top and toss gently to combine.  Sprinkle the pistachios over the top and serve.