Not Just for the Birds: Southwestern Millet

1 cup millet, thoroughly rinsed & strained
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth (homemade is best!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle pepper powder

Begin by combining vegetable broth and tomato paste in a small saucepan. Keep warm over low heat. Then combine the cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl.

Heat olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. Saute for 30 seconds and add millet. Toast millet with the onion & spice mixture for about 5 minutes until the millet is dry and fragrant. Pour in the vegetable broth and tomato paste mixture and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, cover and lower the heat. Simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and serve.

How to Enjoy Southwestern Millet

I like to make a pot of Southwestern Millet every week on Sunday or Monday and eat it throughout the week. It reheats well and makes a great accompaniment to many meals, such as steak or fish tacos, black bean burgers, and picadillo. Here is one of my favorite easy and cheap meals to make with Southwestern Millet:

Southwestern Millet and Eggs

Reheat millet (1/2 to 3/4 cup per person) in a skillet over medium heat; you can add a little olive oil or water to keep it from drying out. Push millet to one side of the pan, add olive oil or butter, and cook 1-2 eggs (free range folks!) over easy. Arrange millet in center of plate and top with eggs. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and a couple of spoonfuls of salsa--Frontera's Hot Chipotle is the best! To round out the meal, add tortilla chips, sweet potato fries, corn muffins, or sauteed greens.

Yes, millet is most commonly known as the primary ingredient in bird seed; however, this tiny grain is incredibly good for humans too! Millet is a great source of protein, is very easily digested, and is rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, B6 and folic acid (listen up pregnant ladies!), calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

This is recipe from Meagan.  I am not sure what sure what is more fun - eating this or saying it.  Anyway, it is good and looks pretty too.  I got the quinoa at the coop and at Trader Joe.

Quinoa  Timbales

3/4 cup quinoa (rinsed in a fine strainer)

1 TbL olive oil

1 red onion

3/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 ginger

1/4 tsp coriander

1/8 tsp tumeric

1/4 cup currants

1/4 cup cilantro

3 TBL slivered almonds

1 tsp grated lemon peel

Cook quinoa. Bring water to boil- add salt and quinoa.  Lower heat, cover pan and simmer until liquid is absorbed and spiral of corn is visible, 12-15 minutes Let stand 5 minutes 5 minutes.  Warm oil in skillet - add onion, spices, and several grinds of pepper.  Cook 10 minutes.  Drain quinoa.  Toss with with onion mixture and other stuff.

Easy Sticky Buns

So I really do know how to make sticky buns from scratch with yeast and whole works. I craved them when I was pregnant with Leah so I taught myself how. But really, when you are busy who wants to wait for bread to rise?? Now, you do have to wait for these to thaw and rise but they do it while you are sleeping!! Thanks to my friend Kara for the recipe! (on and if your kids avoid nuts like mine does, leave them out!

1 pkg. frozen dinner rolls (24-36 ct.)
1 sm. pkg. butterscotch pudding (NOT instant)
1 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Generously butter 11X15 pan. Sprinkle with chopped pecans (or make 1/2 without nuts). Place frozen dinner rolls on pecans, leaving room to rise. Sprinkle with pudding mix. In saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until melted. Stir well and drizzle over frozen dinner rolls. Leave on counter overnight to allow rolls to thaw and rise. In the morning, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Let set for 5 minutes before turning upside down on platter.

Rolled Omelet

This past weekend was Leah's third birthday! We celebrated the event with a birthday breakfast for her friends and their parents. This was one of many great recipes we made. Thanks to Everyday Food Magazine for putting it in their issue that came out right before the party! I made this 4 times over the weekend. Plain for the kids, with spinach for the grownups and with onions, peppers & asparagus for a treat!

• Olive oil, for pan
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 8 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar (6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly-roll pan with oil. Line bottom of pan with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the two shorter sides. Brush parchment with oil.

In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour. Add eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper; whisk to combine. Pour into pan. Sprinkle spinach over top in an even layer.

Bake until edges of omelet are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar; bake until cheese has melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Beginning at one shorter end, lift parchment, and roll up omelet tightly, peeling back parchment as you go. Slice and serve.

Blueberry Muffins

Guess what I made for breakfast this morning! These are the best blueberry muffins EVER! The crumb topping is awesome and this is always a request of mine when I visit the homestead!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups blueberries (I usually use frozen)
3 c flour
2 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick butter or margarine (softened)
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 T melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine flour, sugar, & baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in softened butter until mixture is in crumbs. Put 1 1/2 cups of this mixture in a small bowl and add melted butter and cinnamon to make crumbs for topping. Set aside. In the large bowl add milk, eggs & vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in blueberries. Fill 24 muffin cups with batter. Sprinkle each one with a generous amount of crumb topping. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350. Please note that the topping does not get brown so check for doneness.

Aunt Min's Carrot Cake

I made this carrot cake for Leah's first birthday and hope to make it again for her 3rd birthday next month! YUM!

AUNT MIN'S CARROT CAKE

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs beaten
3 cups grated carrots

Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon & baking soda. Add oil, eggs, & carrots. Stir throughly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Grease and flour pans. (I usually use 2 round cake pans but you can make this in a 9x13 too) Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or longer for 9x13. Cool on rack. Frost when cool.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter or margarine
8 oz (1 pkg) cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter & cream cheese, gradually add powdered sugar & vanilla. Chopped pecans can also be added if desired.

Fried Apples

Most weekends Paul takes Leah out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel Restaurant. It's their "Daddy Date Day". The order the same thing every time. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and fried apples. Oh and a chocolate milk for Leah! Well I love the apples too and needed an easy recipe to use up all of the apples we picked at the apple orchard last fall!

2 cups apple juice plus 1/2 cup apple juice
4 large golden delicious apples, with peel, cut into 1/2 inch wedges.
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp apple pie spice
4 Tbs sugar

In a medium skillet, combine the 2 cups apple juice and sliced apples. Simmer gently until apples are fork tender but not mushy, turning apples frequently. Remove apples from juice using a slotted spoon and place in an oven safe dish. In a blender, combine the remaining 1/2 cup apple juice, cornstarch, apple pie spice and sugar. Blend a few seconds until smooth. Whisk mixture into hot apple juice in skillet and cook, stirring constantly on medium high heat until it bubbles and becomes thickened and smooth. Pour thickened mixture over apples and serve.

Feel free to use other types of apples or different spices. I don't have apple pie spice so I have substituted plain cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy the "nummy apples" as Leah calls them!

Italian Style Meatloaf

Okay, here's a relatively healthy one. It's modeled after a weight watches recipe my mom made but wasn't home to give to me so I guessed. Turned out fabulous!

Italian Style Meatloaf

1 lb ground turkey
5oz frozen chopped spinach
1 can mushrooms chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
2 T's Italian seasoning
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion minced

Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil until onion is soft. Combine all ingredients. Put in loaf pan and bake at 375 for 60-70 minutes or until the center of loaf is 160 degrees. Slice and serve with your marina of choice. I topped ours with the following:

1 can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
1 TBS Italian Seasoning

Combined and simmered on the stove for 15 minutes.

This was met with rave reviews by both Paul and picky Leah.

Lido 14

Last week Leah and I made cupcakes. Not this recipe because we didn't have all the ingredients. I was reminded that this really is the best cupcake recipe EVER! I remember requesting it instead of cake for birthdays as a kid. I think it comes from a cookbook from Klemme, IA. I have no clue what the name means. I think it's because you add 14 ingredients?

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 Tbs. vinegar
3/4 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla

Sift dry ingredients together. Add liquids and stir well with a whisk. Prepare filling by combining ingredients.

Filling:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
6 oz chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Line cupcake pan with papers. Fill cups half full with chocolate batter and add a large teaspoon of filling. Top with patter. Bake 30 minutes at 350. Tops can be dusted with powdered sugar if desired.

We have frosted these as well but it's not really necessary.

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

a.k.a. Seven Can Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder (plus more for flavor)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 small white onion
1 can green chilies
2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans- drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes in juice - we used roasted garlic tomatoes
1 can chili beans (15 oz.) drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth
1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn kernels
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
several dashes of hot sauce

For Serving:
* tortilla chips
* lime wedges
* cheddar cheese



Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic, chili powder, cayenne powder, and onion until fragrant, about one minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, green chilies, and 1 cup water. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer for about two minutes. Remove from heat; add lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges, and crushed tortilla chips, and cheddar cheese.