Get ready for a party in your mouth, seriously, a party in the Greek Isles. I’m sharing with you all today a recipe I’ve been making for years as a quick lunch or dinner, these Mediterranean Millet Salad Wraps are loaded with Mediterranean flavors, opposing textures, and are incredibly simple to make. I love using rainbow chard as an alternative to standard wraps; having something light, refreshing, and lower in carbohydrate as a wrap is a great combination for the already carbohydrate-rich millet salad here. I promise even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy this recipe, it’s great as an entree, side dish, or even dolloped on top of your favorite dark leafy green salad for a boost of protein, healthy fats, and minerals.
Marvelous millet. Millet is one of the staple grains I always have in my pantry, it’s a gluten free grain similar to quinoa and is perfect to use for both sweet and savory dishes. I use millet in this recipe as a hearty grain rich in plant-based protein and fiber, alongside some amazing mediterranean seasonings and flavors. Millet also contains good amounts of magnesium, which are incredibly important for our muscle and nerve function- many people eating the SAD (standard american diet) actually don’t get enough of magnesium through our foods.
Even though I’ve sadly not visited any location close to the Mediterranean, I have a deep respect for their fresh and seasonal cuisine. Visiting Greece amongst other locations in the Mediterranean is definitely on my loves and globe trotting travel list (which we’ll hopefully get to within the next year!). What I love particularly about Mediterranean cuisine is the simplicity and use of really fresh ingredients, even though there are many variations of cuisine in those locations, they all have one theme in common, fresh is always priority.
I love fusing together different cultures in one meal, actually I’m a big fan of doing so, especially with my Scandinavian roots and deep love for Indian food, Mediterranean foods, and of course good ole’ American southern classics. These salad wraps are a great representation of using ingredients from the Mediterranean, the millet grain most popularly used in India and Africa; couples with the concept of easy, portable, and simple cuisine from America. The biggest focus on these salad wraps however are the ingredients, the good bits that pack a huge punch of flavor! Capers, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, olive oil, dijon mustard, red onions, dried figs, and pumpkin seeds all contribute many delicious flavors; you get the saltiness from the capers and olives along with a chewy texture, a hint of richness from the olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes, a zesty bite from the dijon dressing, and dried figs to give it a sweet balance. I love adding protein and zinc rich pumpkin seeds to this dish to play with the textures a bit, the millet and most of the ingredients used all have a similar chewy texture so it’s nice to have a bit of crunch.
Don’t dismiss the swiss. Swiss chard (a.k.a. rainbow chard, chard), is one of my favorite dark leafy greens to use for a low carbohydrate, naturally gluten free, raw wrap! They’re incredibly versatile, meaning you can literally roll anything in a swiss chard leaf and call it a day- portable and delicious. Especially great for those of you looking to watch your carbohydrate intake or if you’re on a specific fat loss program like some of my clients- you don’t sacrifice any flavor while boosting the nutrients and fiber in your diet. Swiss chard, like many dark leafy greens, contain amazing amounts of vitamin K, A, E, antioxidants, fiber, a bit of protein, and bone strengthening minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper, and iron.
Ways to use swiss chard // try filling them with an avocado, little lime juice and sea salt for a quick snack; fill with Herb Falafel, fill with Spring Veggie Taco filling, classic cashew cheese, or even a banana with a little almond butter – trust me, it may sound odd, but it’s an awesome snack on the go and a great way to get kids to eat their greens!
Add extras | try adding a couple extras to make this dish more hearty if you choose!
- Add 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds (yields about 10g of protein!)
- Add smoked salmon or any other wild caught fish you enjoy
- Add 1/2-1 cup chickpeas or lentils
- Add organic tempeh or tofu
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup dry millet
- 1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 4-6 large rainbow swiss chard leaves, de-stemmed
- SAUCE //
- 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (raw, unpasteurized)
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons Greek style spice blend*
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- MILLET //
- Boil water and vegetable stock, add millet, simmer for 25 minutes or until water is absorbed and millet is tender.
- While the millet is cooking, make the dressing in a small mixing bowl.
- Add all “sauce” ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine, feel free to add more olive oil to combine to your desired consistency.
- Once the millet is done cooking, pour the sauce over the millet and stir in pumpkin seeds, chopped figs, and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Stir until combined.
- You can serve the millet salad as is, or scoop about 1/2 cup of the mixture into a piece of swiss chard and roll up before serving.
- Enjoy warm or cold.
I think you’re all going to really enjoy this recipe! I love seeing your recreations of these, so keep tagging me using #nutritionstripped and comment below.
Have a beautiful day,
xx McKel
