MILLET BRUSSEL SPROUT DEEP DISH WITH CASHEW RICOTTA (gf, vegan)

On my last trip to the city, I had dinner at a restaurant called Glasserie on Commercial St. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The fact that my friend Molly cooks there was enough to lure me in. Anyplace she works was guaranteed to be special. Anyway, besides having the most delicious bottle of red and a brothy foraged bowl of rice, chanterelles, and nettles, I had some roasted parsnips with cashew ricotta. I ate this thinking it was cashews  + ricotta cheese and that it was perfect. 

The next morning, I took missing my first train as a sign I should treat myself to brunch so I went to The Butcher’s Daughter on the LES, which I’ve been meaning to go to for a while now. Scanning the menu, I realized everything was vegan. But the spicy kale salad had almond parmesan on it and the cashew ricotta kept popping up again. I finally put two and two together and realized there is no cheese involved in cashew ricotta. (I’m probably very, very behind in this discovery. Cut me some slack). As soon as I got home, I threw some raw cashews, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt in a blender until it was creamy and smooth, stuck a spoon in, and just couldn’t believe I was just making it for the first time. It tastes JUST like ricotta, but even better- even smoother. A revelation!

This cashew ricotta and a recipe from Naturally Ella inspired this deep dish. I figured If I was omitting dairy , I might as well go gf too since these dietary restrictions or lifestyles seem to go hand-in-hand these days. I substituted coconut oil for the olive oil and butter the original recipe called for, gf flour instead of the whole wheat flour, coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, and cashew ricotta in place of the cheese. If you really want cheese or pasta, you can easily substitute them in this recipe. I’d go for gouda or cheddar with penne. But seriously, if you’re a mac n- cheese enthusiast like myself, this will thrill you just the way I tell it to you. The flavors all go so well together. The coconut milk is thick and compliments the cashew.  I reheated the dish the next day and it melted together again the way actual cheese does. 

Here’s why this is such a healthy dish:

Millet is chock full of magnesium, has a sweet nutty flavor, and is one of the most easily digestible and non-allergenic grains out there. It is one of the few grains that is alkalizing to the body. 

Brussel sprouts have more glucosinolate ( cancer-fighting component) than any other food besides broccoli. They also have lots of vitamin K, vitamin C, and FIBER. 

Cashews are rich in iron, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium and zinc. They are also good sources of phytochemicals, antioxidants, and protein.

CASHEW RICOTTA:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1/2 cup water
• juice of 1 large lemon (or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)
• sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste
• (Nutritional yeast would also be a good idea)

Soak the cashews for at least two hours in a bowl of water (aids in digestion), covering the cashews about an inch of water as they will puff up a bit.

Drain cashews and place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, blend scraping down sides as needed until creamy. ( Leaving it a little chunky will provide more texture but that’s up to you.

BRUSSEL SPROUT MILLET CASSEROLE:

  Ingredients:

• ½ lb brussel sprouts
• ½ T melted coconut oil
• 1 cup cooked millet
• 1 T coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1T GF all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour if you’re not going gf)
• ¾ cup light coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt (I used truffle salt. WOW)
• ½ teaspoon  roughly chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup cashew ricotta cheese

Cook millet: toast 1 cup dry millet in a sauce pan until golden and fragrant. Add 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Give a good stir and bring to a boil. Put a lid on and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all water is absorbed and millet is fluffy. (This will give you leftovers which are great for breakfast)

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Halve or quarter brussel sprouts, toss with ½ T melted coconut oil, and roast until tender and lightly brown, 20-30 minutes.

Once brussel sprouts are almost ready, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute, whisk in flour and cook for one more minute.

Whisk in coconut milk, salt, and thyme. Continue to heat and whisk mixture until it thickens. Once mixture starts to boil and has thickened, remove from heat and stir in cashew ricotta. 

Toss together cooked millet, roasted brussel sprouts, and cashew ricotta mixture. Pour into a small baking dish. Return to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and browning.

Serve HOT.