Caramel Millet

 After quite some time and many requests, I am finally posting my yummy caramel millet recipe. I'm posting the healthier version, but also the more pricey and a bit more rare ingredients recipe. But, if you go with that I put in parenthesizes, it will turn out just fine and cheaper. Coconut oil acts like vegan butter, and coconut sugar acts like brown sugar in this recipe. So, easily switched. Also, it doesn't have to be puffed millet, it can be puffed rice, puffed kamut, puffed wheat, or even a rice krispie type cereal.

 Caramel Puffed Millet Treats

1/4 c coconut oil (can use vegan butter sub)
1/2 c coconut sugar (can use brown sugar)
1/2 c brown rice syrup
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups puffed millet (or any other puffed 'cereal')

In a small pot over med-low heat add the oil and sugar. Mix well, and add in brown rice syrup. Keep stirring, it will come to a boil, turn heat to low as you are still stirring. Let it boil for 4 min, stirring randomly so it doesn't stick to the bottom or burn.
Cut the heat & mix in the soda. There will be a chemical reaction when it mixes, so it will bubble up and become a lighter brown. Then mix in the vanilla.

In a brownie pan, pour the puffed millet. Follow up with the caramel sauce and mix it all together. Once the caramel has coated the millet, press it into the pan.

**Sometimes I mix other things into it, like nuts, coconut and or dried fruit. I have mixed in chocolate chips a few times as well, but you have to know they won't really stay chips, it will turn into more of chocolate streaks, the caramel melts the chocolate. It goes very well being melted on top though, like chocolate frosting!

 

Tomato, Basil & Millet Salad with Pesto Dressing (GF, Vegan)

Pesto is great with every vegetable and or grain, I swear! I have been doing a no grains diet lately and figured that I hadn't explored millet quite enough. I have made it a handful of times, but it has been a while. So, this dish was created. If you are worried about using millet, you could easily sub it for quinoa or quinoa (or couscous if you don't avoid gluten), you will just need to adjust the amount of vegetable broth you use (for quinoa or brown rice, use 2 cups vegetable broth instead of 3).

Tomato, Basil & Millet Salad with Pesto Dressing

• 1 cup uncooked millet, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• Pesto dressing (recipe below)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 
  
• Directions
• Toast millet in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add broth. Return to heat and bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until liquid is absorbed and millet is tender, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer millet to a large bowl, fluff with a fork and set aside to let cool. 
  
  Add cannellini beans, green onions, tomato, spinach and basil to large bowl, toss gently and set aside.
• Make pesto dressing then add millet to bean tomato mixture and toss to coat.  In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, then pour dressing over millet mixture and toss to coat. 

When serving, top with a dollop of pesto. Salad tastes better once the flavors have had a chance to mix, so let it sit for 30 min before eating it if you can.

Pesto Dressing
3 tablespoons your favorite basil pesto (mine is vegan, nut free Pumpkin Seed Pesto)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
salt, to taste

Onion-Zucchini Cakes (Alkaline, GF, Vegan)

shown topped with hummus and avocado, real salt & fresh ground pepper

Makes 4-5, 4"cakes

1/4 cup millet, ground (I took the millet seed and put them in a coffee grinder, made it into a flour, you could also use cornmeal instead)
2 TBS GF Flour (I had some Pure Pantry GF flour I was almost out of, and wanted to use. Can sub wheat or spelt flour in place)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 TBS flax seed, then grind
2 TBS nondairy milk
1 TBS hummus of choice, or another 1/2 TBS milk
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 sweet or yellow onion, diced small

In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients, then add in nondairy milk. Mix together, it will be slightly dry, the real moisture will come from adding the veggies.
Now you will want to heat up your skillet (med-hi) so it will be primed and ready when the batter is finished.
Add the zucchini, carrot and onion to the bowl and mix together. You may have better mixing luck, but I ended up just working it in with my fingers slightly.
Put some oil down in the skillet to prevent sticking, or some nonstick spray. Scoop out batter, about 1/3 cup worth, and flatten into a cake/patty on the heated skillet. Brown on one side, then flip and brown on the other. They won't cook all the way through, just the outsides will be slightly crisp.
Serve immediately (they start to get mushy after a bit from the liquids in the vegetables).

Ideas for toppings:
guacomole
avocado
chopped tomato
salsa
hummus
pesto
hot sauce
little bit of olive oil w/salt and pepper