Dinner Plate #39

 

This was an unusual but quite good meal: Steamed carrots, sauteed spinach with caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, chickpea millet loaf, and roasted garlic gravy.

The chickpea millet loaf is one of the things I added to my list of things to make this year to use up my "unusual" ingredients. The recipe is from Ugly Vegan Kitchen, and has many of my favorite things in it--leeks, almond butter, millet...This may not seem to go together, but it was lovely. I think I should have baked my loaf a bit longer because the inside was a bit wet, but otherwise, I have no complaints, and everything in it is already cooked, so it's not a health hazard or anything.

The gravy is one of the best I have ever had! The recipe is also from Ugly Vegan Kitchen, and it goes perfectly with the loaf. It's based on cashews rather than oil and it's totally gluten free, so should you need such a thing, know it's out there for you. The flavor can't be described. It's a rich, mellow, garlicky, creamy sauce with a bit of a tang from the balsamic vinegar. It's also one of the absolute easiest things I've made--just blend, heat until thick (which happens relatively quickly with cashew-based sauces), and add vinegar at the end. Perfect.

I would eat this gravy with a spoon by itself, but it's probably better as a topping!

I made a full recipe of both of these things, so I'll be having leftovers for a while, but I think it's worth it. I still have millet to use, too, but I have notions of what to do with it.

I love millet, of course, but I also loved this meal because it was an example of true vegan cuisine. It's not pretending to be a beefy loaf with a meaty gravy. It's millet, chickpeas, and veggies and garlicky goodness. I will happily eat faux meats, mind you. But it's good to know, sometimes, that we have options.