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I had intended to try a new soup this week that my neighbors have been raving about, but when the temperature went up to the mid eighties – I decided the soup could wait until a cooler day. I found an interesting recipe for millet patties and wanted to give it a try and I have wanted to try the slow baked apples in the crock pot for awhile. Stella convinced me to do the acorn squash just in case she did not like the millet patties – always thinking, she is.
You will cook this meal backwards. The dessert is started about 3 – 4 hours before you want to eat, the squash about an hour and the millet patties about 45 minutes. The dessert recipe is the last on this post.
If you are not familiar with millet, here are some basic facts: The protein in millet is very close to that of wheat, it is also rich in B vitamins, especially niacin, B6, folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc. Millet contains no gluten, so for those of you that need gluten free – here is a good alternative.
Preparing Acorn Squash
1. Cut the squash in half and scrape out the stringy flesh and seeds. (this was a nice squash I picked from one of the local farms – so I saved some of the seeds for next year’s garden)
2. Place the squash face down on a tin foil line cookie sheet. Spray the tin foil with some
oil before placing the squash on it.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven. After 30 minutes flip the squash, check to see if done, if not cook for another 20 – 30 minutes – depending on the size of the squash.
4. The squash is done when a fork goes in easily. Take out and prepare how you prefer. I let the squash cool a little, then I take the squash out of the skin and put in a glass bowl, add a little butter and mash – that is all.
Millet Patties (thanks to http://www.everyday-vegetarian-recipes.com/millet-recipe.html)
Ingredients
1 cup millet
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped (I used the onion)
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used a NY produced cheddar cheese)
Freshly ground black pepper
Sunflower or peanut oil for frying
1. Finely chopped the onion.
2. Dry roast the millet grains by placing them in a dry saucepan (make sure the saucepan is big enough to add the other ingredients) over medium heat. Stir regularly for 3 – 4 minutes, once you start to smell a “popcorn” like aroma and here the millet popping – the millet is roasted.
3. Add the water, salt, thyme and shallots or onions. When using
dry herbs I like to put the amount in the palm of my hand and then crush up the herbs with my fingers – it releases the smell and then through in. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, lower the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed and the millet is light and fluffy.
4. While the millet is cooking, grate the cheese.
4. Remove the millet from the heat and season with ground pepper and stir in the cheese while the millet is still warm. Mix well and allow to cool a little.
5. When it is cool enough to handle, take about a golf ball sized scoop of the mixture and shape into little round patties.
6. Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet and set over medium-high heat. Make sure the oil is hot, then carefully add the patties. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve immediately. Make about 8 patties
NOTE: The first batch I did fell apart when I flipped them. I put the remaining mixture back on the stove and added a little more cheese, mixing to melt the cheese – let it cool and then molded into patties. I found that if I made them into a ball first and then flattened they held together better. I loved them, Stella did not – she ate all the acorn squash.
Slow Baked Apples (you will need a crock pot for this recipe)
Ingredients
4 – 6 firm cooking/baking apples, cored
Juice of 1 lemon or lemon juice
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon ( I use more, because I like cinnamon)
2 Tbl non-hydrogenated margarine (that is what the recipe called for, but I used butter, no margarine in this house!)
1/2 cup apple juice
1. Core and peel the apples about 1/3 of the way down from the
top. Rub the exposed part of apple with lemon juice – I put the lemon juice in a small bowl and used my fingers to rub the apples – this is so the apples don’t turn brown.
2. Place the apples in the crock pot.
3. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and then sprinkle over the apples.
4. Place a pat of butter on each apple. Pour in the apple juice.
5. Cover and cook on low for 3 – 4 hours, until the apples are tender. You can serve, hot, room temperature or chilled.
These turned out delicious – I really like the fact that the apples kept the tartness, so they were not too sweet – just the right balance between sweet and tart – of course Stella loved these!
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