Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Millet

Cook time: 1 Hour
recipe:
serves 4
1 cup raw millet
2 cups of water/broth
1 tbsp of salt
3 cups root vegetables of your choice – peeled, diced (sweet potato, carrot, golden beet, purple potato, celery root, parsnip, rutabaga, turnip, yam)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup dill/mint/basil leaves, chopped
5 radish – sliced
1 pomegranate seeds
salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Wash, peel and cut the root vegetables in small cubes. Mix vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them on parchment paper lined baking sheet without over crowding. Roast them for 15- 20 minutes until cooked through and lightly caramelized.
Heat a large saucepan on medium heat. Toast the raw millet for 5 minutes until fragrant and start making popping sound. Add 2 cups of water in the saucepan carefully and season with salt. Give a good stir. Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes until all the liquid get absorbed. Removed from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Now, fluff cooked millet with fork, and taste for seasoning.
Add roasted vegetables, chopped herbs, slices of radishes and pomegranate seeds to the cooked millet. Add cilantro lemon dressing and mix well. Serve hot or cold!
Cilantro Lemon Dressing
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey – optional
salt & pepper
Put all the ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth consistency. Taste for seasoning.

General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken thigh, boned and cubed
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
2 teaspoons cornstarch
5 dried chili pods
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce  
Directions:

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the 1/2 cup of cornstarch and the eggs; add the chicken and toss to coat.
2. 2
   If the mixture is too thick, add some vegetable oil to separate the pieces.
3. 3
   In a small bowl, prepare the sauce mixture by combining the 2 tsp cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.
4. 4
   First-Stage Frying: Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium-high heat (350-400).
5. 5
   Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through.
6. 6
   Remove the chicken to absorbent paper and allow to stand (this step can be performed well in advance, along with the sauce mixture, with both refrigerated).
7. 7
   Second-Stage Frying: Leave a tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok.
8. 8
   Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them.
9. 9
   Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.
10. 10
    The General's Favorite Sauce: Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes).
11. 11
    Serve immediately.
12. 12
    Serves 4, along with steamed broccoli and rice.

Everyday roast chicken

Ingredients:

• a small, free-range roasting chicken
• 75ml/3fl oz olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, squashed
• a large lemon
• 6 sprigs thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 8.
   
2. Place the chicken onto a chopping board and cut in half down the backbone using a large and very sharp cooks’ knife. Flatten the chicken as much as you can buy pressing down with the palm of your hand.
   Pour the olive oil into a mixing bowl large enough to take the chicken, add the squashed garlic cloves, the juice from the lemon and then the squeezed lemon shells. Put in the sprigs of thyme, a good seasoning of salt and black pepper, then turn the chicken over in the oil. (If you have the time, you can leave the chicken like this for an hour or so.)
   Place the chicken in a roasting tin, skin-side up. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the skin is golden and the bird cooked right through.