Millet Pie with Greens & Feta

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Hello,

Here is a quick way to make a festive, vegetarian friendly meal with little more than greens and pantry staples. The recipe is based on one from Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way, which is a great resource for those who wish to incorporate more grains in your diet.

Millet is a small, typically golden colored grain that you can usually find in the bulk section of the grocery store. It is known widely in the US as bird food but the cooking properties and health benefits make it great for us, too. Check out this site to learn more about the heart-protective benefits and more that make this a great grain to integrate into your meals.

You can switch this recipe up in any number of ways: use various types of greens, use a different type of cheese, add more spices or different herbs, or use roasted red peppers instead of sun-dried tomatoes. Play around and have fun!

Millet Pie with Greens & Feta
serves 4-6

Recipe notes: 1) you can use a different sized container depending on how thick you would like it to be; the end result is about an inch or so thick in a 9×13 baking dish. 2) use any type of green you have on hand but I would recommend pre-cooking sturdier greens as they may not cook down enough to be done when the millet is finished.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, cut into a small dice
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup hulled millet, rinsed
  • 6 ounces Swiss chard (about 12 medium leaves), de-stemmed and chopped (see recipe note)
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta (about 1 cup)
  • 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and dried if packed in oil, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped freshly parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  • Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown and soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 3-1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
  • Stir in the millet, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, until most of the remaining water evaporates, 5-8 minutes.
  • Continue cooking over low heat until the millet becomes very soft and the mixture is thick and porridgy, about 5 minutes more. Add the Swiss chard and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are wilted and soft, another couple of minutes. If the mixture becomes dry before the millet is tender, add 1/4 cup boiling water at a time.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the feta, sun-dried tomatoes and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth surface. Set aside to cool until set, about 1 hour.
  • To serve, cut into squares and serve at room temperature. For a bit more flavor and texture, pan fry the squares in a little oil until browned and slightly crispy on each side. Enjoy.

Swiss Chard & Orange Oat Muffins

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Hello!

I am thinking ahead to Thanksgiving and how to make life easier for the meals just before and after the main event. One can’t be bothered to make breakfast the day of or the day after (I can’t even step foot in the kitchen for a few days after Thanksgiving…unless it’s to eat leftovers). While this is not a quick, throw together recipe, it will pay off in the end when you can pull a healthy and delicious breakfast out of the refrigerator or freezer. The muffins themselves aren’t overly sweet so I think they could also serve as a side dish if you leave off the oat and brown sugar topping.

I should also note that no, these don’t end up tasting like Swiss chard. The orange flavor is most evident with a little hint of the saffron in the background. I used closer to 8 ounces of greens in my first round of testing and I still didn’t pick up on much chard flavor. Enjoy!

Swiss Chard and Orange Oat Muffins (adapted from here)
makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon + 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
  • 6 ounces (about 10 medium to large leaves) Swiss chard, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
  • Pinch of saffron
  • 1 cup + 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats, divided
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1-1/2 cups milk of choice (I have used both whole and soy milk with good results)
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/2 cup raisins, roughly chopped

Directions:

  • Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 400 degrees. Liberally spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12″ non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the Swiss chard and cook, stirring constantly, until the leaves are wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a colander set over the sink and cool slightly. Press on the greens with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a cutting board and chop fine. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  • Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-low heat in a small saucepan until just warmed, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the saffron, and allow to cool. Transfer to the bowl with the Swiss chard and set aside.
  • Take 1 cup (4 ounces) of oats and grind into a fine flour. This works best in a spice or coffee grinder but a small food processor also works. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Take the remaining 1/3 cup of oats and mix with the brown sugar in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
  • To the bowl with the oat flour, add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine.
  • In the bowl with the Swiss chard and olive oil, add the eggs, honey, milk, orange zest and raisins. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold to just combine without overmixing. Note: the batter will look a bit looser or wet than you might be used to – this is expected. Equally divide the batter between muffin tins until it almost reaches the top. Top each muffin with the oat & brown sugar mixture and transfer to the oven. Cook for 14-16 minutes (I needed 16 minutes), rotating once half way through, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a crumb or two attached. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes and then remove and transfer to a cooling rack.
  • To store: after they have cooled completely, the muffins can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for 3-5 days, although they will dry out a bit. They can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Millet & Quinoa Patties with Curried Swiss Chard

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I grew up with finches (the small gray birds with orange cheeks) and thought millet was just birdseed. I had no idea people all around the world ate it until just a few years ago! Millet has been cultivated in Eastern Asia for 10,000 and it is staple crop in parts of India and Africa. After reading about the numerous health benefits, not to mention the fact that it is gluten-free, I think it’s about time it became a part of our everyday diet.

This recipe was inspired by Hillary’s Eat Well veggie burgers which I found in the freezer section at Whole Foods. While I love their version, I thought I could come up with my own that wouldn’t take much time and allow me to add the ingredients and flavors I like. I started with this recipe but then made some changes based on a couple of trials. Add your own twists with different greens and spices. We hope you enjoy!

Millet & Quinoa Patties with Curried Swiss Chard
makes 10 patties

Recipe notes:  1) I stopped short of calling these “burgers” because I don’t think they are sturdy enough but I do think they would be good in a wrap with greens and a simple sauce; 2) I used Tant Hill’s rainbow Swiss chard but feel free to use most any green you have available; 3) psyllium husk is used a lot in gluten-free baking as it is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water and becomes sticky, thus holding the patties together. It can be online or in well stocked grocery stores (I found it at Whole Foods).

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) raw millet, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) raw quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 5 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed, leaves finely chopped (3 cups) and stems minced (see recipe note)
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon psyllium husk (see recipe note)
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

  • To cook millet: add millet and 1-1/3 cup water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 13-18 minutes, or until the grains are tender and all of the water is absorbed. Remove lid and boil off excess water if needed. Turn off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  • To cook quinoa: add quinoa and 1 cup water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the grains are tender and the water is absorbed. Remove lid and boil off excess water if needed. Turn off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with millet and set aside.
  • For remaining ingredients: heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and Swiss chard stems and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and garam masala and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl with the millet and quinoa. Add the psyllium husk, brown rice flour, vinegar and salt to bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and using a biscuit cutter or your hands, form into 3-1/2″ wide by 1/2″ tall patties (about 1/3 cup of the mixture per patty). At this point, I would recommend you place the baking sheet directly into the freezer for a few hours until frozen through and then transfer frozen patties to a ziperlock bag.
  • To cook: heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook a few patties at a time until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5 minutes and serve.