Roasted Beets and Tofu Atop a Garlic Millet

What an adventurous day. First rye pasta, now millet. I decided to pass up the couscous for this new (to me) grain since it was the only one in the bins I haven't tried. I wasn't so sure what to do with it, but did some Googling and found that it has a 1:3 millet to water ratio and cooked like other grains. I knew I needed to use up the beets in my fridge, but I couldn't decide what the protein should be. Split peas and lentils didn't seem right, and tofu popped into my head. Luckily I was stopping by Whole Foods for something else (which they didn't have) and soy milk and grabbed some tofu as well. I've never seen "Super Firm" tofu before, but it was cheaper than the tofu I buy at other groceries so I couldn't pass it up.

Roasted Beets and Tofu Atop a Garlic Millet

• .5c millet (uncooked)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 small beets
• 1 package Cubed Super Firm Tofu, drained
• Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash beats and pierce with fork. Place on baking sheet and roast for an hour or until done. Spray olive oil on and add salt to the tofu, toss to coat evenly. Add to baking sheet and cook 30 minutes or until browned.

Toast millet in dry pan for 2-3 minutes until it gives off a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes. Add 1.5c hot water, bring to a boil, and let simmer 25-30 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Add garlic to millet at some point during cooking- the earlier you add, the milder it will be and the later you add, the stronger it will be. I added mine with about 10 minutes left.

When beets are cooked, cut off top and bottom and slice in half. Let cool 10-15 minutes and then remove the skin. Cube and toss in with the tofu and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture on top of millet.

So Dr. Andrew Weil tells me that if you simmer millet, it gets fluffy just like rice. That was a lie. While it came out delicious, it was the consistency of polenta/grits- not what I was expecting. Otherwise, the dish was fun. Each ingredient had a completely different texture and all three flavors seemed to mingle well. I don't think anyone would be wowed by it, but it wasn't a flop.