Posts Tagged ‘italian herbs’

Millet Cakes

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

millet-cakes.jpg

I don’t think there’s any good name for this recipe — believe me, I’ve been racking my brain for something better. Millet sounds like some small bug that you might have found in your bed at camp in the 6th 
grade or maybe a hairdo that is short on the sides and long in back. In reality, millet is a delicious grain that doesn’t seem to 
appear in too many recipes, but is fantastic for little ones. Kenya 
loved it so much, I got totally inspired and came up with several 
recipes using it.
These millets cakes are easy to prepare and take only minutes to cook. 
Their nutty flavor comes out even more when you add a yogurt tahini sauce for your little one to eat with it. Millet is one of the least allergic and most digestible grains. It’s 
nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber and B-complex 
vitamins and is a perfect in a gluten free diet. When you’re making 
the millet recipe below you might think you made it wrong because it’s 
very sticky. Don’t fret, you made it perfectly! The millet needs to be a 
little sticky in order to form the patties.
These are a great choice to serve in the summer, for parties, or for play dates, especially when 
it’s your turn to give the neighborhood kids dinner and you want 
to make something special.
And I’m all ears for better names for this recipe, so don’t be shy, send me suggestions. I’d love to hear them!

Millet Patties (Makes 16 Patties)

I Cup Water
1/3 Cup Millet
1/4 Cup Onion, chopped
1/4 Cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Carrots, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Egg, beaten

1. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot.
2. Add the millet, cover and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes or until fluffy and a little sticky.
3. Place the onion, bell pepper, carrot, garlic and italian herbs in food processor and pulse and until vegetables are in tiny pieces.
4. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetables. Saute until for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
5. Place the millet, vegetables and egg in a bowl and throughly combine.
6. Place 1 tbsp of the mixture between your hands and make patties. (You may need to moisten your hands with water so they don’t get too sticky).
7. Once all the patties are made and resting on a plate, heat 1 tbsp or oil in a saute pan over medium heat and saute the patties for 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
8. Cool on a paper towel lined plate and serve.

Polenta Balls

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

polenta-balls.jpg

Last Sunday I ran into my friend Leslie at the farmers market. We started talking about weelicious and a recipe that she had come up with for her adorable son, August. She said that the rice ball recipe I had made for the website inspired her to try a polenta version. She took me through how she did it and I thought it was a genius and healthy idea. I changed it up a bit, but so can you. Feel free to use greens instead of broccoli or cheddar instead of Monterrey jack. This is a perfect recipe to improvise on. Also, if your little one isn’t ready for bites yet, you can do a pureed version.
Trader Joe’s (to the rescue, again) sells organic polenta packaged in an 18 oz. tube, which is a huge time saver. Since it’s also gluten free, it’s a perfect option for little ones with allergies. You only need half of the tube for this recipe, so you could take the leftover portion and pan sear slices for your dinner and serve it with some fresh tomato sauce and cheese.
Kenya loved popping these little bites in his mouth!

Polenta Bites (makes 30-40 “bites” or 2 cups of puree)

1 Cup Broccoli, florets
1/4 Cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Tofu, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp Parmesan
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Italian Herbs
1/2 Tube (9 oz) Polenta

*You can also use 1 cup of fresh polenta

1. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the
vegetables and tofu and saute for 3 minutes. Cover the pan and steam for
2 more minutes or until broccoli is fork tender.
2. Place the sauteed ingredients, cheese and herbs in a food processor
and pulse until everything is combined, but tiny pieces remain.
3. In a bowl mix the polenta with the vegetable/tofu mixture and roll
into bite size balls.
4. Serve.