Thursday, January 24, 2013

THE GOOD SEED: GLUTEN-FREE MILLET CAKES

I know it's way past the New Year and I haven't been on Sola Gina for some time! I have been visiting with my daughters :), writing for the University Palm Ledger, studying hard with Institute for Integrative Nutrition, keeping up with my Facebook page and IIN groups and friends, oh yes, working, active in my church, but still cooking sola!! Finding ways to eat healthy for myself and really enjoy the process and the results are still my passionate pursuits. Hello! in 2013..

I wrote about millet last fall, promoting it's nutritional qualities, and with delicious recipes for millet breakfast pudding and millet stuffed peppers.  Now I am adding to the possibilities of using millet with a recipe for a great side dish, Millet Cakes.
I am trying to cut back on wheat consumption, not because I don't like it; I love it! And because I love it, I tend to pile on the pasta and bread with abandon and it punishes me for my over indulgence. Alternative grains like quinoa, brown rice and millet are good substitutes and help me to be moderate in my consumption of wheat for which my body is grateful! I am enjoying all of it, including a little wheat..the durum type in pasta, especially when combined with legume flours as in Barilla Plus works quite well.

Anyway, I had some left over millet which I had cooked in chicken broth and decided to try making Millet Cakes for a vegetarian dinner the other night (this is the part of cooking sola that I like the best..being able to decide on the spur of the moment which direction my meal will take).
I make risotto cakes out of left over risotto and potato cakes from extra mashed potato, so, millet cakes were a natural next step. I had toasted the millet a little before cooking which gives it a little nutty taste. Millet is quite bland, a good side for a spicy, saucy meal and is very digestible.

The results were very good, but they can be improved by making a few changes next time around. The millet does not stick together as well as the rice in risotto cakes, even though I had cooked it very well. Possibly due to the starch released by the risotto making process, risotto cakes adhere better and/or perhaps, it's the cheese in the recipe. My millet recipe (which follows) would not have fared well with the addition of cheese. Next time I may add yogurt or mayonnaise in addition to the egg to help bind the cakes and make them more "sticky" and more "creamy". Pureeing the veggies or binding with a vegan type mayonnaise would make them suitable for vegans as well.

Another suggestion would be to dip them in flour or panko crumbs before sautéing, eliminating the gluten-free aspect of the dish, but it is an option for some.

The spices used in the recipe could also be altered to make them more compatible with cheese, and open up a whole range of flavor possibilities. Parmesan and sundried tomato, feta and olive, cheddar jalapeño, etc. Cooking sola is fun!

MILLET CAKES

  • 1 1/2 cups well cooked millet
  • 14 cup grated carrot
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
  • 1 finely minced garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons minced sweet red pepper
  • 1 egg
  • peri peri seasoning to taste*
  • olive oil for sautéing approx. 2-3 tablespoons, divided
Saute the veggies in about 1 tablespoon olive oil until softened, adding the peri peri seasoning. Mix all together with the millet. Add a beaten egg and form into the size patties you desire.

Cooked Millet with sauteed veggies

Allow to sit in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour to help them hold together.
Saute in remaining olive oil turning once. Let the first side brown well before turning.

Imperfect, but tasty!!


I served them with a spicy mustard sauce. Chutney or salsa would also work well.

Haricot Vert with a little Umeboshi vinegar were a nice balance

*Peri Peri is a spice made from North African hot red peppers by the same name. Penzey's now has it in dry form. It is also known as Ethiopian Berbere and can be used as curry or chili seasoning.

Keep cooking and keep healthy!!
Sola Gina