Lentil, millet and parsnip bake

This is the time of year when I end up making comforting savoury bakes at the weekend. Served with roast potatoes and mashed root vegetables or seasonal greens, they always warm me up from the inside out. Nourishment for the body and soul.

I’m a big fan of millet. Gluten free and full of body-loving nutrients, it’s a great ‘grain’ to include in all sorts of dishes. It can be a base for a salad, or as a to complement pasta or tray bakes. It’s also a tasty alternative to rice in risotto as you can see with this recipe.

Those of you who use my recipes regularly might think ‘but there’s already a millet bake on the website’. And there is! That millet and vegetable bake is more like a US style casserole. It has a dairy-free cream base holding the veg and millet together. And it is, of course, super tasty 🙂

That recipe also tells you how to cook millet, so please use that as a reference for this recipe. I will one day create a post of it’s own as it’s useful to refer to. If only there was more time in the day! Currently I’m in mid flow, writing my second book. Called ‘Healing From The Inside Out: how to manage autoimmune disease with a whole-food plant-based diet‘ I’ll be sharing lots of information about how the Western style diet can have such a negative influence it triggers susceptible people and how a nutrient-dense whole food diet can help reduce symptoms and help you live well.

The information shared is not just for people with or at risk of autoimmune disease (although it covers a massive 10% of the population!). Chronic, low grade inflammation is an underlying issue for all lifestyle-related health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cognitive decline. The information shared is relevant to all.  And of course there are lots of new recipes to share that I hope will be enjoyed as much as the ones in my first book Eat Well Live Well with The Sensitive Foodie.

Enough of the book promotion, back to the recipe!

This bake is packed full of healthful plant protein. Lentils, pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds as well as the millet, all contain great sources of plant protein as well as healthy fats (in the seeds) and minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium. And of course, lots of lovely gut-loving fibre.

The key to helping this bake stick together is to ensure the millet is well cooked in a full 3 equal parts stock to dried grain. When I use millet for salads, I tend to leave it slightly undercooked so it doesn’t stick. That doesn’t work for this bake, as I found out the first time when making it. As with many of my recipes, this one came about from using up what left in my fridge. I had made a millet salad the day before and cooked too much. It was dry, perfect for it’s original use, not so much for it’s repurposed use! But then that’s how I help you not make the same mistake 😉

Sticky, slightly overcooked millet is perfect for this recipe. The parsnips release a little water whilst it’s in the oven which also aids the stick. If you don’t have or like parsnips, replace with grated carrots, swede or celeriac. Each will bring it’s own flavour, but they will all be tasty.

And don’t despair if your bake still crumbles on serving. Unless you are trying to impress others or take a great photo, it really doesn’t matter as it will still taste delicious.

I serve this with other root vegetables and roasted potatoes, but you could use steamed veg and baked sweet potatoes instead. Or even a salad if you like to mix cooked and raw. The bake keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you can always have extra portions for later in the week if you are not cooking for 4.

I hope you enjoy this lovely millet bake. Don’t forget to let me know how you get on with it.

Lentil, millet and parsnip bake

A super tasty, filling savoury bake packed full of healthful nutrients. Can be served hot or cold.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4 portions

Course: Main Course

Calories:

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 250 grams cooked finger millet - well cooked and soft see link to post below
• 400 grams tin of cooked lentils drained
• 1 medium red onion finely chopped
• 1 medium celery stick finely chopped
• 2 medium parsnips peeled and grated
• 2 cloves of garlic peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp mixed herbs or herbs de Provence
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Method

 

1. Cook the millet so it's soft and stick - see this post for instructions
2. Heat a couple of tablespoons of water in the base of a pan. Add the chopped onion and celery. Saute for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
3. Add the grated parsnips and a pinch of salt. Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the grated garlic and simmer for 3 more minutes. Once everything is softened and smells awesome, turn off the heat.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 180℃. Line a 20cm square baking tin with non-stick baking paper.
6. Tip the cooked millet, drained lentils, cooked veggies, herbs, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and ground flaxseed into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir well to combine. The sticky millet should help everything to start sticking together.
7. Transfer the mix into the prepared tin. Press down well to get the mix into the corners and help the mix to hold together. Sprinkle the seeds over the top.
8. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the tray and bake for another 10 minutes or until the seeds on top are lightly browned.
9. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes in a warm place. Cut into 4 squares or triangles and serve hot. Alternatively, leave to cool and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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