Category: Recipes

 

Simple but oh so delicious dish. Served hot from the oven, everyone who tasted it thought it was the traditional pasta mac and cheese.

8 x 10 baking dish

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup hulled millet
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ cups water*
• 1 – 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8-10 ounces shredded medium cheddar cheese
• Bread crumbs if desired

In a large skillet pressure cooker, over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil and cook until lightly browned. Add oregano and millet and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until millet is fragrant and lightly toasted.

Add water and salt. Stir. Increase heat to high. Lock pressure lid into place. Bring pressure up to 2^nd ring. Reduce heat to maintain pressure. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure naturally release.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375F.

Once pressure is released, open lid. Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted and incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread half of the millet mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the grated cheese. Spread with the remaining millet mixture and top with the remaining grated cheese. Sprinkle with bread crumbs if desired.

Bake about 15-20 minutes until heated throughout and cheese is melted and bubbly.

 

When boiled, barley becomes plump and tender. Adding the peel of any citrus fruit to the water while cooking lends a subtle flavor to the slight nuttiness of the barley.

Makes about 2 ½ cups cooked barley

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Peel of 1 large lemon, lime or orange, cut in several thin strips
• 1 cup hulled barley
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 bay leaf, optional
• ½ – 1 teaspoon salt

In saucepan, over high heat, add olive oil. Add the citrus slices and stir just until fragrant. Stir in barley and cook 1-2 minutes to slightly toast. Stir in water, bay leaf and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for about 1 hour. Remove from heat and let sit for about 10-15 minutes to steam. Fluff with a fork and remove any peels.

Drain any excess liquid. Serve or refrigerate for later use. You may want to leave the bay leaves and citrus peels in the barley until ready for use as the flavors will continue to meld and intensify.

Pressure cooker method:

I prefer to use a pressure cooker when cooking grains as it cuts the cooking time down considerably.

In  a 4 or 6 qt pressure cooker, over high heat, add olive oil. Add the citrus slices and stir just until fragrant. Stir in barley and cook 1-2 minutes to slightly toast. Stir in water, bay leaf and salt. Lock pressure lid into place. Bring pressure up to the second indicator ring. Reduce heat to maintain pressure. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure naturally release. Remove lid. Fluff with a fork and remove bay leaf and citrus peels if desired.

Enjoy.

 

There is oatmeal and then there is Haitian Oatmeal. The smooth, creamy texture and unique flavor of Haitian oatmeal is more like vanilla pudding than a hot breakfast cereal. It was love at first bite when I was served this special treat on one of my visits to Haiti.  So I made a deal with the cooks. I taught them to make bread; they taught me to make Haitian Oatmeal. Enjoy!

Makes 3-4 servings

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups water
• 4 Tablespoons honey granules
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 2 star anise, optional*
• Butter, optional

In a large blender, blend oats and water for about 2 minutes.

Place saucepan on medium heat and allow to get hot. Pour blended oats in to hot pot stirring constantly. Stir in honey granules, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, almond extract and milk. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes and until desired thickness. Stir in butter.

Serve immediately with fresh fruit if desired. Enjoy.

*Some recipes call for star anise. If you want to use star anise. Heat it on low heat in the milk for about 15 minutes. Strain before adding the milk to the above mixture. May also use cinnamon sticks in place of ground cinnamon and heat with the milk.

This salad is a favorite due in part to its versatility. Ingredients can easily be changed to suit your family’s likes and dislikes. Continue reading Wheat and Corn Whole Grain Salad