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The learning curve for dating a food blogger is steep.  Not only are you handed a whole new culinary lexicon to commit to memory (the.boy may not necessarily know the difference between bulgur and quinoa, but he can use them in a sentence!) but there are also a whole slew of new holidays that you must commit to memory and really should try to remind your girlfriend about ahead of time (for example, by saying “hey sweetie, so what are you going to post on your blog for “insert food holiday here” in two weeks?).  And if you happen to buy her a present for said holiday…so much the better. Especially in the case of World Nutella Day. (cough cough wink wink nudge nudge).

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What you should not do is arch your eyebrows and say, with a tone in your voice, “You made that up” when your girlfriend informs you that today is Whole Grain Sampling Day(!!!).  Especially not when you know your girlfriend is kinda crazy about whole grains. Just a thought.

But seriously, what’s there to not be crazy about?!

I know many people out there are on the fence about whole grains.  They do tend to have a very distinct nuttier, fuller flavor than refined grains and are, on the whole, chewier. (Which is what I love about them.) But if you grew up on refined grains, you may find these unfamiliar flavors and textures to be weird and not super appealing.

Quite frankly, I think the key to enjoying whole grains is to not compare them to refined grains. They are just not ever going to taste the same, end of story.  But by thinking of them in their own right and trying them prepared in many different ways, I guarantee you will be able to find one that you like and, over time, my guess is that your palate will get more and more used to the flavor and texture and you’ll learn to love them even more!

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So with that being said, you may be wondering – why should you even bother to eat whole grains? What are the perks?

I’m sure many of you know this, but there are a ton of health benefits associated with eating whole grains.  They are chock full of antioxidants – wheat and oats almost equal broccoli and spinach in health-protective antioxidant activity – as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber – most of which are removed during the refining process.  In addition, eating an average of two and a half servings of whole grain foods each day can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by almost one-quarter and three servings a day can reduce blood pressure and stroke risk.  I mean really, if that’s not incentive…I’m not sure what is.

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Being that today is Whole Grain Sampling Day, there is a ton of stuff going on in the interwebs and possibly even in your local supermarket to celebrate!  Specifically, today at noon (EST) there will be a nationwide toast on twitter during which anything goes! Feel free to tweet about your favorite grain, snap a shot of yourself enjoying a whole grain treat, anything to celebrate the whole grain!  Make sure to include the hashtag #SampleWholeGrains in your tweet!

And here on Eats Well With Others, we are celebrating by holding an awesome GIVEAWAY!!!  When I decided to join in as a Whole Grain Ambassador, I was sent a box full of some serious goodies by the Whole Grains Council, including but not limited to:

  • Whole Grain Sampling Day t-shirt
  • Among Friends Baking Mix – Gluten-Free Molasses Cookie Mix
  • Barbara’s Bakery – Shredded Oats Cereal
  • Bob’s Red Mill – Gluten Free Muesli
  • Carl Brandt – Mestemacher Sunflower Seed Bread
  • Dr. Kracker – Engine 2 Crispbreads (5-seed)
  • Freekehlicious – Whole Grain Freekeh
  • Frontier Soups – Montana High Plains Wheat Berry Chili
  • Goose Valley Natural Products – Brown & Wild Rice Fusion
  • HomeFree Treats – Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Jovial Foods – Einkorn and Brown Rice Pastas
  • Nabisco – Classic Wheat Thins and Black Pepper Brown Rice Triscuits
  • Pamela’s Products – Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookie Mix
  • Real McCoy’s Snax – Gluten-Free Sea Salt and Sweet & Spicy Brown Rice Chips
  • Tasty Bites – Garlic Brown Rice
  • Upfront Foods – Straight Up Nutty Granola
  • Way Better Snacks – Sprouted Tortilla Chips
  • Fabe’s All Natural Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

And..you could win a box full of all this awesomeness too!! All you have to do to enter is a leave a comment telling me what your favorite whole grain is! The giveaway will run through next Wednesday, April 9th, when I will announce the winner.

Disclosure: I received a selection of whole grain products to sample for free but was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

To celebrate Whole Grain Sampling Day even further, I couldn’t leave you without a fabulous whole grain-infused recipe, now could I?

I recently received a copy of a wonderful new cookbook called Modern Mediterranean. I’ll do a more in-depth review once I’ve made a few more recipes from it but if the rest of the recipes are anything like this vegetable stew, then it’s going to be a serious winner. As soon as I saw the title for this recipe I knew I needed to have it. I’m a sucker for any savory dish that contains cinnamon and ginger, and when you add in a ton of vegetables I become even more sold.

The recipe is actually very simple and really just has you make a spiced broth by simmering vegetables and spices in water for about 20 minutes total. What you end up with is a richly flavorful dish filled with so much vegetable goodness that I could hardly take it!  The original recipe had you serve the stew over a bowl of couscous but in celebration of the whole grain, I decided to replace it with millet which is similar in size and texture when cooked but with a ton more fiber, protein, and nutrients!  In all, it was a fabulous meal that even my not-quite-as-enthusiastic-about-whole-grains boyfriend loved.

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One year ago…Vegetarian Cassoulet, Sweet Potato Chili Mac
Three years ago…Nigerian Baked Beans with Spiced Carrot and Zucchini Barley

Vegetables in Spiced Broth Over Millet
Serves 4-5, adapted from Modern Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp harissa
  • 2 tsp salt, or more to taste
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick wedges
  • 1/2 lb dried white beans, soaked overnight and boiled until tender or 1 14-oz can garbanzo beans or cannellini beans
  • 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup millet

Instructions

  1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat until butter has melted. Add the onion, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the harissa and stir to combine. Add 4 cups of water, the salt, parlsey, carrots, turnip, and beans. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.  Cook, uncovered, until the carrots and turnips are almost cooked but not quite, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the zucchini and asparagus. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Taste the broth for salt and season to taste.
  4. To make millet, bring 1 cup dried millet and 2 cups salted water to a boil in a small skillet. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water has evaporated and millet is cooked through. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.  Serve stew over a big bowl of the millet.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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106 Responses to Vegetables in Spiced Broth Over Millet {GIVEAWAY}

  1. My fave whole grain is oats.

    Your veggies look wonderful! I love the asparagus you used!

  2. Liz says:

    My favorite grain is quinoa–in soup!!

  3. Basil says:

    Oh, geez. How to choose… I think right now it would be quinoa, but I l-o-v-e most all whole grains!

  4. bellini says:

    I am trying to incorporate grains into my life, but my favourite is still bulgur. I love it’s nuttiness and chew. I made a rash decision when I was cleaning out my kitchen cupboards when I threw out some whole wheat. Never mind that I was given this grain when I lived in Calgary 25 years ago. The interesting fact is that there was probably nothing wrong with it, but I never used them because I didn’t know how. I am now regretting the decision. I would also love to get my hands on that cookbook:D

  5. I was the super lucky recipient of one of the Whole Grains goodie boxes last week! It’s an amazing collection of yummy, good for you products! 🙂

  6. I don’t know that I’ve ever tried millet. Amazing that there are so many grains out there to enjoy! This broth sounds lovely.

  7. missmarc says:

    my favorite grain is quinoa! packed with protein and incredibly versatile!

  8. My go-to whole grain is short-grain brown rice–it makes great vegetable sushi, and it’s yummy with furikake, or Swiss chard, or maple syrup, or….!

  9. Ha! Yes, the joys of being in a relationship with a food blogger. I think anyone who is dating a food blogger or is thinking of dating a food blogger should read this. Very important. 🙂

    Love everything about this recipe. So satisfying without being too heavy. The perfect spring recipe.

  10. Patsy K says:

    I’ve been working on some different ways of serving whole grains so that we can get away from having so many refined grains in our diet. It’s slow to convert the family, but trying them different ways is really the key to getting there! We eat a lot of barley so far… I need to work in more quinoa and bulgur, still working on figuring out to make them more appealing to the men in my family. 🙂

  11. Maria says:

    My favorite is definitely quinoa. I’ve been on the quinoa train for my entire life, since my mom grew up in the Andes mountains, where it is a cheap indigenous grain. Imagine our surprise a few years ago when it sprouted up (pun totally intended) at Whole Foods for $6/box! I’m dying to try freekeh, though. I’ve read great things about it and would try it right away if I won this giveaway!

  12. Amy says:

    Whaaaat? Whole Grain Sampling day? You DID make that up! Right? Honestly, there seems to be a food day for everything, so you probably could make it up and nobody would be the wiser. I think Whipped Cream Day is just around the corner…

  13. Katherine says:

    I love oats! Steel cut oats for breakfast, especially!

  14. SallyBR says:

    My favorite these days is farro, but barley fights hard for the number one spot….

    My fingers are tightly crossed to be the winner, that’s the kind of giveaway I LOOOOOVE

  15. Leanna says:

    I think farro might be my favorite, but is hard to pick a winner.

  16. Mmmm…this dish sounds amazing. I definitely don’t think whole and refined grains should be in a competition as they are entities all their own. But I love the chewiness and nuttiness of whole grains like you do 🙂

  17. Katie K says:

    I love love love wheat berries, but have a lot of gluten-free friends, so I usually end up with brown rice or millet. All are so tasty!

  18. Tara Van says:

    My fave grain is quinoa!!

  19. Dee says:

    I love quinoa and use it in recipes for all three meals of the day.

  20. Sa Sa says:

    Good old brown rice is my fave whole grain. I’m trying to incorporate more though!

  21. My favorite is bulgar, but I’m a fan of all whole grains!

  22. Abby says:

    I recently fell in love with barley! (that’s a whole grain right?) I love this dish, it’s the perfect meal to me – I always forget to make meat for my guy but he could easily add some yummy chicken to this.

  23. alicooks3 says:

    depends on my mood… steel cut oats, quinoa and amaranth are my top picks!

  24. Megan says:

    Quinoa isn’t a grain everybody. My favorite is oats.

  25. I’m pretty much a big fan of all whole grains… but oats probably would win out if I made a pro/con list 😉

  26. Wow that recipe looks yummy – I’ve never tried millet. I love love love quinoa – it’s my favourite wholegrain as it’s so versatile, but I also really like spelt – now that’s a handy grain to have around 🙂

  27. Hmmm I would probably say steel cut oats and buckwheat/kasha (especally in knishes) are my favorites!

  28. marian says:

    My favorite grain is emmer farro

  29. MackenzieAyn says:

    My favorite whole grain? That is almost impossible to answer… I love all of them! I love millet and quinoa the most, I would have to say. However, kasha is high up on the list, too!

  30. I like Farro with fresh fruit or mushrooms.

  31. My favorite whole grain would have to be Bulgur or Popcorn (lol)!

  32. Kari says:

    My favorite would be quinoa! So easy to use in everything and quick cooking.

  33. I love whole grains! It was hard to convince the bf to eat it instead of his usual diet of white rice at first but now, it’s a totally regular thing.

    I do like eating oats in the mornings but my favorite whole grains are wheatberries and brown rice.

  34. Jessie says:

    Your point about not comparing whole grains to refined grains is spot-on – there are so many wonderful flavors and textures that should be celebrated on their own (like your incredible broth over millet, which is a grain I don’t use enough). My favorite is brown rice or quinoa mixed with just about anything!

    I know what you mean about sig. others and food bloggers – luckily Peter was eased into it and so he had no choice 😉

  35. sandra says:

    I really like brown rice – boring, I know – but I also like wheat berries and I’ve recently tried bulgur and love it too!

  36. sandra says:

    Ummm… and you can’t fault him on missing THIS holiday, now can you?

  37. sarah says:

    My favorite grains are quinoa and oatmeal.

  38. Erica Berman says:

    I’m a whole grain junkie! Seriously, I don’t know how people do the ‘low carb’ or ‘paleo’ thing. I don’t think I could get through 1 day without some grains. I love most grains, but I think for me it would be a tie between brown basmati rice and oatmeal as my favorites.

  39. Christina says:

    That is such a tough one. I’d have to say that the one I look forward to eating the most is Farro. I might have to go make some now!

  40. Ashley Bee says:

    Ohh I love that there are some gluten-free options!

  41. Pam says:

    I planned to make a quinoa recipe tonight – perfect for whole grain sampling day. I’d say quinoa is my favorite grain.

    The recipe looks healthy and delicious.

  42. quinoa! My mom makes a mean quinoa tabbouleh – even my carnivorous bf loves it! Being Indian, basmati rice is a close second.

  43. I think my favorite whole grain is spelt. I love baking using spelt flour.

  44. Does it make me a total food geek that I got REALLY excited about the idea of being a whole grain ambassador??? Oh well, I think I’m okay with that! My favorite whole grain of the moment is probably bulgar. I love adding bulgar to so many things and it’s such a great addition to stews, chili, and soups. Plus, I’m a pretty happy girl with just a plate full of roasted or sauteed veggies on top of a pile of bulgar. Delicious!

  45. Lisa says:

    I love black rice! It’s so hearty and nutty-flavored.

  46. I just tried millet a couple days ago and loved it! I believe there is a tie for my favorite grain between short grain brown rice and quinoa!

  47. Such a yummy, hearty dish! It looks so delicious Joanne! My favorite grain is oats.

  48. Lynn says:

    Short grain brown rice. I haven’t made millet in years – I was told in a vegetarian cooking class once to always toast it first. We stirred in around in a skillet like a stir fry, before cooking.

  49. That Girl says:

    I didn’t realize it was whole grain sampling day! We have barley on the menu for later this week, but I would have made it for tonight’s dinner if I knew!

  50. Juli says:

    I lived in Ecuador for a number of years so quinoa has long been a staple in my kitchen, but as of late I’m really enjoying farro.

  51. Christina K says:

    I’m an avid fan of black rice!

  52. T says:

    I’m a barley fan but I just love rice so I’m much more likely to eat wild, black, brown rice…etc.

  53. Eileen says:

    It’s all grain, all the time at our house! Brown short-grain rice is probably my favorite, but quinoa, jasmine rice, barley, and wheat berries all make appearances from time to time too. This melange of veg and grains looks so good! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

  54. ProjectHope7 says:

    It is too hard to choose.. so I have to say, my 2 top faves are definitely Quinoa & Brown Rice! Both are so versatile for both sweet and savory dishes..When I frist had quinoa, I disliked it immensely as the perosn making it made it very bland.. but then I started researching how important it is as a grain, and how much protein it has so now use it as much as possible!
    I have never tried millet .. so I should.. I like barley on occasion in a soup. what a huge blessing this gift box would be at this time!
    Cathy B*****y pbprojecthope atyahoodotcom

  55. Beth says:

    Hard to pick a favorite – probably either quinoa or brown rice. I didn’t know about World Grain Sampling Day, but it’s well worth celebrating.

  56. Anonymous says:

    I just discovered farro and really like it. Have never tried millet, will have to try it. Thanks for the giveaway. Kat at k(dot)larsen(at)comcast(dot)net

  57. I love food holidays, and even if whole grains don’t excite me quite as much as peanut butter, they are something worth celebrating:-)

  58. millet’s been a recent gem for me, joining farro and buckwheat in the top ranks 🙂

  59. Katie says:

    I’m on a huge quinoa kick lately!

  60. cut anywhere says:

    My family likes millet – a good thing since we are moving away from quinoa! (The famers in Bolivia that grow quinoa can no longer afford to eat their healthy staple.)

  61. grace says:

    i really like bulgur!

  62. Whole wheat – for breads and cakes. I know it’s nothing new, but I really love the flavor of baked goods made with whole wheat.

  63. Oh yum, Joanne. It does sound like a made up day, to me, but I’ll take any excuse to talk about whole grains, no? 🙂 My favourite is definitely quinoa… which is actually not a whole grain but I don’t care. 😉

  64. Ashley says:

    OK, first of all…I think I’m going to copy/paste this first paragraph in an IM to Dino hahahaha. I’m trying to start doing my posts BEFORE holidays, but yeah…you know…

    I love so many grains, but I think that farro is my favorite. Yummm!

  65. I know it sounds boring but plain old fashioned oats. Love them cooked as cereal, in homemade bread, in meatloaf as filler, and esp. in COOKIES!!!

  66. Sara says:

    WOW, what an awesome box of whole grains! I could never pick a permanent favorite, but right now I’m super into farro…I make a great tomato-lamb stew with farro in it that is SO yummy.

  67. Just wanted you to know that I think that every one of your recipes are absolutely TO DIE FOR! Love them – keep it up!

  68. Dixya says:

    I love anything that grain but lately, I am enjoying quinoa, although they say its not a grain. Also, my latest thing is wheat berries.

  69. tigerfish says:

    I really like millet esp in congee! I cook that at least once a week.

  70. Well, this is a whole lot healthier than National Grilled Cheese Month. Yesterday, I pressure cooked some barley for my soup. Yum! Love wheat berries, too. Especially as a salad. Quinoa. Hmmm, not so much. Must be a texture thing. We eat brown rice all the time, too. Love it.

  71. Hotly Spiced says:

    I hope you get that large jar of Nutella. In the meantime, I think my favourite wholegrain is barley – so great in so many recipes xx

  72. I have no idea what my favorite grain would be. I like a lot of them 🙂 Your recipes sounds delicious!

  73. Oh that’s too funny – I’m pretty sure my husband couldn’t name a single food holiday… My favorite whole grain is definitely oats, can’t get enough of them!

  74. Hannah says:

    Picking favorites is always tough, but especially so when we’re talking about foods. I don’t know what I would do without quinoa or rice, but there’s a special place in my hear reserved for barley. I really love cooking up a big batch in the pressure cooker, and then giving it a second go on the stove with the classic mirepoix, a bit of coconut milk, and asparagus for a simple barley “risotto.”

  75. Diane Vandermast says:

    Barley, for sure. But I’ve yet to meet a whole grain I don’t like. A great way to get my son to try a new grain, is to add some to soup – oat groats, quinoa, etc. – he now loves them all.

  76. Natalie says:

    i honestly don’t even have a favorite–i’ll take any grain! 🙂

  77. Alana Berman says:

    Wheat berries all the way!

  78. I would say Quinoa. I am new at eating whole grains. I have decided that I need to eat more and try to stay healthy. This cookbood sure would help. Thanks [email protected]

  79. RWeiss says:

    My favorite it wheatberries! I only learned about them this year – great discovery.

  80. Anonymous says:

    how does one choose? quinoa? oats? barley? wheat berries? all good. haven’t tried millet yet but i’m thinking that should be next on the list…

    fruitcrmble AT comcast DOT net

  81. My favorite whole grain lately has been farro. I’ve never cooked with millet, though!

  82. looks great I love whole grains must get me some millet

  83. I love wheat berries. I have never had millet but always want to try new grains- this recipe looks like a good introduction to a new whole grain. Yum.

  84. Haha yes, dating a food blogger can be a handful at times! And presents are always needed on Nutella Day!

    Love these veggies btw. I’ve been meaning to incorporate more whole grains into my diet so this here is just perfect!

  85. Kari says:

    You have no trouble convincing me – I love whole grains. And I love the look of this!

  86. dating a food blogger! wow what fun!!! I think millet is very often overlooked so I love this recipe!! just delicious!
    Mary x

  87. Katerina says:

    looks stunning!

    xxxFiC.

  88. Dining Alone says:

    Quinoa is probably the only one I can remember having, and I definitely liked it. I will need to try millet!

  89. Natalie G says:

    My fave has got to be quinoa, I use it for breakfast lunch and dinner! Great recipe by the way, healthy and warming 🙂

  90. That looks awesome, Joanne! Healthy and so delicious.

  91. Vicki S says:

    My favorite is steel cut oats all the way!
    I make it sweet, I make it savory. I love it all ways 🙂
    sswpss at yahoo dot com

  92. Reeni says:

    That’s so funny! About you making up the day! Your “bowls” are always so packed with flavor – I love all the spices you used. How could I not like this when you added cinnamon?

  93. SharonF says:

    I like the nutty taste of quinoa. Lots of different salad recipes with this grain. mommafox1943 at msn dot com

  94. Karen says:

    I love love love wild rice
    [email protected]

  95. Elena says:

    My favorite whole grain is buckwheat

    [email protected]

  96. MonsterAteMy says:

    I know it’s not technically a grain, but can I choose quinoa? Pearl style quinoa, to be more specific. If not, then oats. 🙂

  97. rachel says:

    Oats in any form! Especially cookies hehe

  98. Evelyn D. says:

    Mine is rice. I cannot go a whole day without eating rice!

    shopgurl101 at gmail dot com

  99. Margot C says:

    I love oats, I eat them every day!

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