Mediterranean Pilaf Bowl

This wildly delicious Mediterranean Pilaf Bowl is filled with fresh flavors that are also easy to put together! This vegan bowl is inspired by our little urban home garden. The mediterranean pilaf is millet-based and made with flavor packed ingredients like olives and capers along with fresh herbs and a light and zesty dressing. Alongside are the crispiest most addictive mushrooms. The combination of the two epitomizes comfort and deliciousness! And this all takes under 30 minutes to make. It is such an easy recipe. What’s not to love!

Cooking with Millets

Millets are so underrated! They are versatile, and can be easily incorporated into your meal in the same way you’d use rice, quinoa or any other grains. They are fuss free to cook, can easily be made on a stove top, or in a pressure cooker and take only 15-20 minutes to cook! All you need is some water,  salt to cook them in a 1:2 millet to water ratio.  Most importantly, they are nutrition powerhouses. Including them in your meal is an easy & delicious way of eating food that’s good for you! Stick with me and we’ll make millets in so many more creatively delicious ways. Today, is all about these mediterranean pilaf.

Mediterranean Pilaf made with Millets

One of my favorite things to make with millets is this easy recipe for a pilaf. It is meal prep friendly, taste great served warm or room temp, and are perfectly lunch box friendly. An ideal lunch or dinner vegan bowl. It has everything you’d think a refreshing, light and fresh meal would have. But, more importantly, it is wildy flavorful.

The millets are cooked with a little olive oil and cooled down to become fluffy. They are then tossed with briny and savory capers and olives; fresh and herbaceous parsley; zesty and tangy lemon & apple cider vinegar, sweet tomatoes and crunchy toasted almonds. And to round it all off, the most luxurious extra virgin olive oil. It truly is a textural and flavor wonderland!

And to the vegan bowl even more wholesome and robust, is this quick and easy recipe for crispy mushrooms.

Making really Crispy mushrooms

There are four fool proof ways to making truly crispy mushrooms and here they are:

1. Start with a large enough skillet so as not overcrowd the pan. If you pile up the mushrooms, they’ll turn soggy.
2. Next, use some fat, whether it is oil or butter. This goes a long way in creating that golden brown crust.
3. Be patient and don’t overwork the mushrooms when they’re cooking.
4. Do not salt the mushrooms first. Wait until the end once they’ve had time to crisp and brown.

When mushrooms cook, you’ll first notice they soften and release some liquid which is normal. Keep cooking them on high heat until all the water is absorbed. Toss them gently and keep sauteing on higher heat, and they’ll start browning and crisping up. Get them to your desired crispiness and only then add the measured salt.

For today’s recipe, I’ve made mushrooms that are garlicky and slightly spicy to complement the herby and zesty mediterranean pilaf. Brown the garlic first, and then toast some dried basil and red chilli flakes before adding the mushrooms in and crisping them.

These mushrooms not only complement this mediterranean pilaf, but they’ll make perfect additions to any meal you’d like. Top them on pizzas, tacos, make quesadillas with them or even add them flavor your sandwiches. They’re an easy way to incorporate flavor.

Serve the pilaf and mushrooms warm or at room temperature.

Crispy Mushrooms & Mediterranean-inspired pilaf

Prep Time: 30M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.0/5

( 4 voted )

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Ingredients

Mediterranean Pilaf
3/4 cup millets
1 1/2 cups water (or low sodium vegetable broth)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tbsp olives, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp coarsely chopped roasted almonds
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Crispy mushrooms
Two packs ~16 oz portobello mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp coarse salt
2 tbsp oil

Instructions

Mediterranean Pilaf:

In a saucepan add measured millets, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and water/broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan and drop the heat to low. Cook for 18-20 minutes until liquid is completely absorbed and millets are cooked. Remove from heat and let this cool. Once the cooked millets have cooled down, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Using a fork, loosen and fluff them up. Add the chopped tomatoes, olives, parsley, green onions and almonds. In a small bowl whisk together extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour this over the pilaf and toss everything together.

Mushrooms:

Heat a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, basil and red chilli flakes. Fry for a few seconds. Add sliced mushrooms and mix well until all the pieces are well coated. Keep stirring over high heat until the mushrooms soften. They will release water which is normal; just keep cooking on high heat until all the water absorbed. Once the liquid is gone, they'll start browning and crisping up. Get them to your desired crispiness and only now add the measured salt. Toss together, stir for 5 more minutes and it's done.

Serve the pilaf and mushrooms warm or at room temperature.

Did You Make This Recipe?

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