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In almost no other part of the world is “parking the car” such a hot topic as it is in NYC.

The second anyone enters my mother’s house, the first question she asks is “Where’d you park?” and the answer is never simply “across the street”.ย  Rather, it’s typically an epic journey that involves multiple trips around the block, a few sojourns down a side street or two, all to eventually end up across the street, though, as with many things in life, it’s so much less about where you ended up as it is how you got there.

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All of this to say that when The.Boy’s family got to our apartment on Saturday night and immediately commenced telling and retelling the saga of “how they found a parking spot right across the street”, I knew that everything was going to be okay.

And when my mom arrived, they did, in fact, spend a full thirty minutes discussing the logistics of parking on the upper east side, the tricks to finding a spot big enough to fit a Ford Explorer, and how one decides when to keep looking and when to just throw one’s hands up and park in a lot.

It was kismet.

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As, in many ways, was this salad.

This was another one of The.Boy’s “random pinterest picks”. I haven’t talked about them much, but he always manages to choose the strangest, most out there things. Things that he would have never chosen for himself were he not essentially pulling a random recipe out of a hat. Not that this was particularly strange, but it does contain cabbage (which he hates) and a grain base (which he thinks is boring), so the odds were really against it.

Now if I had chosen this and set it in front of him, he would have crinkled his nose and said, skeptically, “Do I like this?”, but because he chose it, he dug right in.

And loved it.

Like I said. Kismet.

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One year ago…Chocolate Mousse Tart with Hazelnuts
Two years ago…Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes with Roasted Cardamom-Vanilla Rhubarb Compote, White Bean, Sage and Roasted Garlic Spread, Vegetable Paella
Three years ago…Sweet Corn and Wild Mushroom Soup
Four years ago…Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Thai Millet Salad with Peanut-Ginger Dressing
Serves 4, adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked millet
  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup diced scallions
  • 1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts
  • 1/2 lb dried beans (I used vaquita rojas), soaked overnight and cooked
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. Put the millet and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is evaporated. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
  2. Toss the millet with the cabbage, red bell pepper, carrots,cilantro, scallions, peanuts, and beans.
  3. To make the dressing, whisk together the peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, agave, red wine vinegar, sesame oil and olive oil. Season to taste with salt. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

I am submitting this to Souper Sundays, which is hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.
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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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69 Responses to Thai Millet Salad with Peanut-Ginger Dressing

  1. london bakes says:

    Good pick! Love that peanut-ginger dressing. Glad to hear that the meeting of the parents went well, it’s such a good hurdle to overcome.

  2. First, driveways are amazing and I’m happy that I have one.

    Second, the photos here are just beautiful! So vibrant!

    And, third, my boy does the “Do I like this?” thing too!

  3. Ummm, the parents are meeting?! This is serious! Hooray! ๐Ÿ™‚

    I love grain salads.

  4. You had me at peanut sauce:-) SO happy that everyone got along on Saturday… I think this is just the beginning of many wonderful family get togethers for you!

  5. Ha! Oh boy..I’m driving to NY next weekend and am SO AFRAID to park. Gah! Also, I want this salad sooooo bad right now. Looks awesome!

  6. Foodycat says:

    That salad looks like the perfect thing to have in the fridge to munch on for a few days.

  7. Glad this dish was a hit!
    Sounds like the families meeting went well!

  8. Hannah says:

    Ah-mazing salad! It’s surprisingly hard to find recipe for millet that DON’T cook it down to a mushy porridge consistency. That’s fine every once in a while, but I much prefer my grains distinct and a bit more toothsome. So happy you shared this beauty!

  9. Oh, this is a good one. I love the color of the cabbage against the grain and the carrot and the bell pepper. Dinner with the ‘rents, huh? I think I hear some sort of bell ringing…getting close… ;P

  10. Yay for the parents meeting! This is good news! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Also, I want to eat the whole batch of this salad. YUM!

  11. This is me…dreaming about making this. For breakfast.

  12. Just the vibrant colors makes this salad looks amazing to dig right in, and I am sure it was delicious! Glad about the parents meeting!

  13. Gwen says:

    How funny, I didn’t think anyone in N.Y. owned a car ๐Ÿ˜‰
    I’m gonna make this for lunch tomorrow. I even have all the ingredients!

  14. Sam says:

    I never think to use millet…though I have a bag of it sitting in my cupboard. Looks delicious!

  15. Jessie says:

    Ah, it’s so nice when everything works out, isn’t it? It sounds like you had a great time with THE PARENTS – nothing brings people together like thoroughly discussing the-epic-journey-of-parking. I used to use that trick when we lived in Boston area, although it’s not nearly so bad as NY.

    Nice pic by the boy! The peanut-ginger dressing alone has me ready for lunch!

  16. Amy says:

    NYC is like the weather – two topics always worth talking or complaining about, and certainly a way for people to connect over. The families have met! I love it.

  17. sandra says:

    awesome – so glad your family get together was a success, and that The.Boy. picked his own salad.

  18. Pam says:

    Yeah. I am so glad the parents all got along! The salad looks amazing… LOVE the flavors, textures, and colors.

  19. Monica says:

    I’ll eat anything with “peanut ginger dressing” in it. Great recipe!

  20. Never had millet, but I might just sub this with quiona ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. Anything covered with peanut sauce is delicious to me! I’ve only cooked with millet once but I definitely need to give it a second try.

  22. Eileen says:

    Wait, you guys actually own and use cars in Manhattan?? My hat is definitely off to you for that one! ๐Ÿ™‚ This salad sounds perfect for summer–full of hearty grain & beans, crispy veg, and an amazing dressing. I need more peanut dressings in my life!

  23. HA! Yes, we have the same struggles here in Southie, though not quite on the level of hell that is NYC parking.

    I’m such a sucker for salads like this when it gets to be RIDICULOUSLY hot (like it is today).

  24. So happy the meeting of the parents went well – this salad looks delicious! Not sure if it’ll fly with my Boy, but he’s generally willing to take a few bites.

  25. Abby says:

    Awesome salad, I would dig right in! So glad the meeting of the parent’s went well ๐Ÿ™‚

  26. Lynn says:

    Yay for them liking each other and for the salad!

  27. What a fantastic salad! The color is wonderful and I am sure the flavor follows suite. Sounds like the weekend was a roaring success. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary

  28. Pam says:

    I love millet and I am always looking for ways to use it. I don’t think my husband has ever even been on Pinterest, much less picking a food dish from it! Way to go!

  29. This sounds fabulous! Too funny that the boy picked it – but it all worked out! Kismet indeed.

  30. So glad the meeting of the parents was a success!!!!

  31. joanne, i love love love the bright pictures! and the recipe itself. ๐Ÿ™‚ glad to know that the two-fam dinner went well.

  32. Oh, now this is just healthy, colorful gorgeousness in a bowl! Happy to hear you had a good time with the parents!

  33. Glad things worked out well with the parents. That is too funny about the parking stories…ha! It’s crazy that the boy picked that salad too. It sounds terrific and I love all the colors in the dish. So putting this on the list to make soon!

  34. I should try that trick with my boyfriend when I want him to eat something healthy .. though I have a feeling I could never trick him into eating cabbage. I, on the other hand, think this looks delicious!

  35. I’ve only had millet porridge as a breakfast dish, so this sounds like a fun, new way to try it!

  36. What a wonderful dish! I never had millet, but I do have a bag of it, I must try this! Anything with PB in will be out of this world! Great recipe!

  37. Beth says:

    So happy the meeting went well! And that is one gorgeous salad.

  38. OohLookBel says:

    My mother’s standard greeting is ‘Have you eaten yet?’, followed by ‘Why are you wearing black again?’. Such pretty colours in the salad – it would be gone in a jiffy if it was put in front of me.

  39. This salad is so bright and colorful. I’ve only eaten millet once or twice and thought it was pretty interesting. I should use it more often. Incidentally, dried millet is my cockatiel’s favorite treat! ๐Ÿ™‚

  40. Looks tasty and healthy! A perfect take to work lunch. Yum!

  41. Natalie says:

    glad you didn’t leave us hanging ๐Ÿ˜‰ and glad it went well!!!

  42. bellini says:

    A very bright and colourful salad Joanne!!

  43. YUM! Amazing looking salad! I’ve been looking to try something new lately. This might just be it! : )

  44. Blond Duck says:

    I’m so glad you found your other half.

  45. Joanne, Saturday night must have been wonderful and hard all at the same time!

  46. AdriBarr says:

    What a great salad. It sounds wonderful.

  47. two things:
    1. I’m so glad I don’t have to drive my car in NY!
    2. Can you overnight me a jar of this peanut-ginger dressing? I’m drooling!

  48. Kari says:

    I can certainly say that I’d love this, regardless of what led it to be placed in front of me. I’m glad your parents got on too! Sounds like a perfect first meeting conversation ๐Ÿ˜‰

  49. I love the flavors of peanut, ginger and cilantro together. This salad looks amazing!

  50. The parking situation is mind-boggling to me, living as I do in an area where there is nearly unlimited parking at any time of day. ๐Ÿ™‚ So glad everyone arrived safe and sound for your gorgeous salad feast. ๐Ÿ™‚

  51. Peanut ginger dressing sounds amazing! I love every bit of this crunchy salad.

  52. I have GOT to try something with millet soon. Janet at Taste Space uses it a lot and I always look at it and then reach for the quinoa. Next recipe I make! And I love the combo of ginger and peanut. Such a classic and delicious combo.

  53. Hey cookbook version of Carrie! ๐Ÿ™‚ (That was a cute description.)

    The recipe looks impressive. Nice to drop by ๐Ÿ™‚

    Miriam.

  54. The Thai dressing sounds so good on this. And it sounds so refreshing for a hot week like this!!

  55. Rachel Cooks says:

    I just want to dive in to all your recipes. This one especially!

  56. I have been known (I know you have too!) to drink a peanut dressing from time to time.
    It’s those really good ones that I love to just take an extra shot. LOL

  57. Holy yum! I actually just landed in Thailand today and probably already gained 10 pounds, so I know exactly what you mean when it comes to those addictive flavours. I love the idea of using this dressing with nutty millet ๐Ÿ™‚ I’ll have to give this a go when I get home and miss Thai food.

  58. I cant imagine driving in New York, let alone parking. If I did, I feel as if I would need a huge bowl of this salad to calm my nerves.

  59. Ashley says:

    Some things were just meant to be!! This salad looks fabulous. I love cabbage AND grains and peanut ANYTHING dressing is always tasty ๐Ÿ™‚

  60. Reeni Pisano says:

    So he’s getting the hang of things – I love that he’s picking recipes like this out! This is calling my name with that peanut butter dressing! And yay! I’m glad everything went well.

  61. That Girl says:

    I am so glad it went well!

  62. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    Oh goodness, this looks wonderful! So full of delicious flavor ๐Ÿ™‚

  63. I pinned the original too! Way to go to the boy for picking this one ๐Ÿ™‚
    I need to replenish my millet store…

  64. I just love all of the colors in this and yey another reason why I need to cook more with millet. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Thanks for sharing with Souper Sundays!

  65. anything with peanut sauce and millet is great in my book! good pick by the boy ๐Ÿ™‚

  66. foodienewz says:

    Your food photos are amazing. You can share your mouth watering photos with us at foodienewz.com. foodienewz.com is a new food sharing site and we actually try our best to promote your food photos. At foodienewz.com all your food photos will be published without any editorial review so I really hope you come and join us.

  67. This is EXACTLY the recipe I was looking for – tired of the quinoa and millet salads I’ve been making, and I already have some thicker ginger peanut sauce in the fridge from making rama broccoli this week. Does the salad do well as leftovers? I’m always cooking with an eye for the leftovers, and wondering if the millet just dulls the flavors over time, or if the cabbage gets all wilty. Thanks!

  68. Laura says:

    Love the flavors. Know it would go well!

  69. I literally read all the comments to see what people thought but it looks like no one actually made this salad lol
    I just made this salad and substituted only one ingredient- agave (cause I didn’t have it on hand and since I don’t use it I didn’t want to buy an expensive bottle of sweetener for 1 tablespoon) I used maple syrup.
    It’s totally worth making because it comes together really quick (if you have cooked millet on hand – and beans – which I did)
    And it was pretty cheap because I had almost everything on hand.
    I made gardein mandarin orange crispy chick’n to pair it for dinner.
    I have plenty left over for the rest of the week.
    Thanks for posting.

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