Mushroom Millet Bowl

The following post was written by Liz Montgomery, a dancer/choreographer, writer, and teacher for The Perri Institute for Mind and Body. She currently co-teaches the Grow Your Practice seasonal series with TaraMarie Perri, and is involved with various aspects of the institute’s growth and development. As evidenced by her constant recipe sharing, Liz loves to feed people.

There's nothing quite like feeling nourished by your food. For me, it means a combination of deep flavor and varied texture. It's also got to fill me up and be easy to digest. This recipe fills that tall order, and then some! I've enjoyed it as a hearty lunch, a light dinner, and even as breakfast with the addition of a fried egg. A note about tempeh: tempeh is a loaf of whole, fermented soybeans. It's a good idea to limit one's intake of soy for a variety of health reasons. Look for tempeh that's non-GMO and made with the addition of whole grains, such as brown rice and millet.

Mushroom Millet Bowl

Adapted from Sara Britton's My New Roots cookbook

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-inch knob fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

2 Tbs maple syrup

2 Tbs brown rice vinegar

9 ounces tempeh

1 cup millet

3 Tbs sesame seeds

3 Tbs ghee

3 cups packed spinach

1/2 lb mushrooms, washed and sliced (I use Baby Bella but any variety will do)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

sesame oil for garnish

Method

1. Marinate the tempeh: in a shallow dish or bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown rice vinegar, and maple syrup. Cut the tempeh into several thin triangles and place them in the marinade. Allow to soak in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.

2. Cook the millet: in a small saucepan, combine the millet with 2 cups water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms and spinach: in a skillet or sauté pan, heat 1 Tbs of the ghee on medium/low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 7 min. Push the onions to the edges of the pan and add another 1 Tbs of ghee, increasing the heat a bit. Add the mushrooms, resisting the temptation to stir, and let them brown on one side, about 5 min. Mix the onions in with the mushrooms and let cook for another 5 min. Take the tempeh out of the fridge and pour about 1 Tbs of the marinade over the mushrooms. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach until it wilts. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

3. Heat remaining 1 Tbs ghee in the pan, increase to hight heat, and add the tempeh. Brown on one side for about 5 minute. Flip the tempeh triangles, pour the rest of the marinade over them, and cook for another minute. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and remove from the heat.

4. Assemble the bowls: a generous scoop of millet serves as a base for the mushrooms and spinach. Layer 1-2 pieces of tempeh on top. Drizzle with sesame oil and adjust seasonings to taste. East slowly and savor.

-Liz Montgomery

Glo Bars

The following post was written by Liz Montgomery, a dancer/choreographer, and a teacher for The Perri Institute for Mind and Body. She currently co-teaches the Grow Your Practice seasonal series with TaraMarie Perri, and is involved with various aspects of the institute's growth and development. As evidenced by her constant recipe sharing, Liz loves to feed people.

Before I discovered this fantastic recipe, I was always diving into coffee shops and street corner markets for a snack between teaching engagements. I was consistently disappointed, though, by the huge sugar and carbohydrate loads these on-the-go snacks delivered. Then I discovered that I could make granola bars at home, and everything changed. I make a batch of these every weekend, varying them slightly so I don’t get bored. It is worth investing in some of the ingredients that you may not have on hand—who knows, you might even be inspired to seek out other recipes that make use of them!

Glo Bars

Adapted from Angela Liddon’s Oh She Glows Cookbook

Base Recipe Ingredients:

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 ¼ cups rice crisp cereal

¼ cup hemp seeds

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 Tbs sesame seeds

2 Tbs chia seeds

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup + 1 Tbs brown rice syrup

¼ cup almond butter

¼ teaspoon salt (only if your almond butter is salt free)

1 tsp vanilla extract

parchment paper

tin foil or small waxed paper storage bags

Optional Add-Ins (use your judgment in determining what goes well together):

¼ cup dried cranberries OR chocolate chips

¼ cup pepitas OR chopped pecans

¼ cup candied ginger

2 Tbs flaxseed meal

½ tsp ground cardamom

Method:

1. Line a 9-inch square or rectangular pan with a piece of parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, rice crisp cereal, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, sesame seeds, chia, cinnamon, and salt (if using). Mix.
3. In a small saucepan, stir together brown rice syrup and peanut butter until melted and combined. Cook over medium high heat until the liquids start to gently bubble. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
4. Pour the liquids over the oats. Use a spatula to scrape every bit out of the pan. Stir with a large spoon until the dry ingredients are completely coated with the wet. If using any add-ins, allow the mixture to cool slightly before folding them in.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, once again scraping the bowl with the spatula. Spread out in an even layer. Lightly wet your hands and press out to the edges of the pan, evening out and compacting the surface.
6. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
7. Using the edges of the parchment paper like handles, lift it out of the pan and onto a cutting board. With a pizza roller or serrated knife, slice in half once horizontally and then several times vertically (I’ll let you judge how big you want your granola bars to be).
8. Wrap the bars individually in foil squares or waxed paper sandwich bags and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Grab a bar as you head out the door and enjoy an energizing snack!

-Liz Montgomery