RECIPE: Skillet Millet

Millet has become one of my new favourite grains. While most people are more familiar with its use as birdseed, I think it deserves a lot more attention in the kitchen. It's inexpensive, easy to cook, and has a pleasant nutty flavour with a bit of a crunch that is a nice change of pace from blander grains like rice. 

Since I "invented" Skillet Millet (shown above with Lime and Garlic Chicken and Creamy Cucumber Salad), it's quickly become a staple in our household. It makes a great side for just about anything you could throw on the barbecue, and is easy to prepare, so it's perfect for laid-back summer meals. I like to cook this in my cast iron skillet, but if you don't have one, any nonstick pan should do the trick!

(Note: You might not be able to find millet at a "regular" grocery store. I buy mine from my food co-op, but I think most bulk food stores should have it, too.)

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked millet
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions:

In a medium size cast iron or nonstick frying pan, saute the onion in butter until tender. Add the millet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and 1 cup of water, and the salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed to keep the millet from drying out (you may need to add an additional cup or more of liquid). Once millet is tender and most of liquid has evaporated, turn off heat and let stand for a few minutes until remaining liquid has evaporated.

Serves 4 as a side dish. 

Do you cook with millet, too? If you have a favourite way to prepare it, please let me know!

RECIPE: Layered Salad

If you're looking for a simple-to-prepare yet elegant side dish to tote along to an Easter gathering this weekend, I highly recommend this layered salad. Everyone always "oohs" and "aahs" over it whenever I take it anywhere, and once they dig in, there's usually not much left over. Use the fanciest glass bowl you've got to assemble this, and you'll be assured "showstopper" status :) If you don't have any fresh herbs on hand, they can be omitted, but they definitely add that little something special to this salad.

Ingredients:

1 head leaf lettuce, shredded
1 cup shredded carrots
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
6 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, chives)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions:

In a large glass serving bowl, layer the lettuce, carrots, red pepper, peas and green onion (in that order). Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and herbs (if using). Spread evenly over top of salad. Cover and chill overnight. Sprinkle with bacon just before serving.

Serves 8.

I shared this recipe at Recipe Swap Thursday and Full Plate Thursday.

Make it from Scratch: Zesty Cheese Sauce

 Image by Suat Eman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'm starting a new series today featuring basic recipes that all frugal cooks should have in their repertoire. This cheese sauce can be used in a variety of ways (I'll show you two of them once we get through the basic recipe).

Zesty Cheese Sauce

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
2 cups grated cheese (we use either all old cheddar or half cheddar and half mozzarella)

In a medium sized, heavy bottom saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add the flour and stir until well coated with butter mixture. Slowly add the milk, stirring as you add it to prevent lumps from forming. Add dry mustard,Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat until sauce thickens, then add cheese and stir until completely melted into sauce.

That's it! (Wasn't that easy?)

Two great ways to use it:

1. Mac and cheese:

Cook 2 cups of macaroni noodles until al dente (you should have about twice as much once they're cooked). Stir into cheese sauce and pour into glass lasagna dish. Mix about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. Add about 2 tbsp or so of olive oil or melted butter and mix well with a fork until crumbs are all well moisted (add a bit more fat if you need to). Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly over top of macaroni (I smooth the top out gently with a fork afterwards). Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

2. Cheesy Vegetable Bake:
When making the cheese sauce, saute 1 diced red pepper along with the garlic and onions. Finish the sauce as directed. Cook about 4 cups of vegetables or so (a broccoli/cauliflower combo works great, but you can use carrots, peas, green beans, corn or any leftover cooked veggies you've got hanging around in the fridge). Stir the cooked vegetables into the sauce, pour into lasagna dish and top with breadcrumb mixture as described above for mac and cheese. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

What are your favourite uses for cheese sauce?

Really Easy Stuffed Jalapenos

My jalapeno pepper plant is producing like crazy right now! This is one of the best ways I know to use up a bunch of them - and they certainly don't last long (at least not around here).

Ingredients:
jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
cream cheese, softened
cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
1 slice of bacon (uncooked) for every 4 pepper halves

The amount of cheese you need will obviously depend on how many peppers you have to fill. Start with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup cream cheese and stir in about half as much grated cheddar (you can add a bit more if you want, you just want to end up with a bit more cream cheese than cheddar in the mix). Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill the jalapenos pretty generously with this mixture. Cut the bacon slices into 4 equal size pieces and wrap a piece around each stuffed pepper. You can secure the bacon with a toothpick if you want; I usually just tuck the ends underneath the bottom of the pepper. Place the peppers in a baking dish large enough to hold them all without crowding them too much. Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked and a little crispy.

I shared this recipe at Tasty Tuesday, the GCC Recipe Swap and Friday Favorites.

Learning to Embrace Leftovers

I am always surprised when someone expresses their utter disdain for leftovers. I have been a long-time fan of them, myself, for many reasons. Firstly, I can use them to help put together a meal faster than usual on a night where I don't have much time or energy. In addition, the wise and creative use of leftovers means that nothing is going to waste, keeping my grocery bill down! And I admit I feel more than a little satisfaction in creating something delicious out of items a lot of people might have just tossed in the garbage.

A few evenings ago, my husband was out at dinner time and my motivation for cooking for myself and my two boys was running low (sometimes it's hard to muster up my cooking enthusiasm when I know they'd be just as happy with a peanut butter sandwich!)

I rooted around in the fridge for a couple of minutes, and came up with: 2 baked potatoes (leftover from burger night), half a carton of sour cream, a few strips of bacon and a jar of salsa with a few spoonfuls left at the bottom. I also had some garlic chives poking up in the veggie garden. Inspiration struck and I came up with the following:

Spicy Potato, Bacon, and Onion Hash

2-3 strip of bacon
2 baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp canola oil
3-4 tbsp salsa
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
sour cream and garlic chives for garnish

In a small frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan. Saute the potatoes and onion in the oil until onions are tender and potatoes turn golden brown. Add salsa, salt and pepper and mix well. Crumble bacon and add to potato mixture. Cook for a minute or two longer. Spoon out onto serving plates and garnish with sour cream and garlic chives.

To round out our meal, I scrambled up some eggs and toasted the last few slices of homemade bread we had on hand. This turned out to be a deliciously satisfying meal!

I hope I've convinced you that leftovers are a good thing - they can be the springboard to a tasty, something-for-almost-nothing culinary creation.

RECIPE: Easy Oven Fries

I know I'll have a happy family on my hands if I make oven fries for dinner! We like them cut really chunky but you can slice them finer if you prefer.

Time: 45 minutes
Serves: flexible

Approx. 2 medium potatoes per person
Olive oil (approx 1-2 tbsp)
Sea salt (approx 1-2 tsp)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel the potatoes and cut them into desired size pieces. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, stirring until potatoes are uniformly coated. Sprinkle with sea salt (add more salt if you like them really salty) and mix well to distribute evenly amongst potatoes. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, spread potatoes out evenly onto cookie sheets in a single layer. Place on middle rack of oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip fries over and bake about 10 minutes more or until golden brown.