Millet And Cornmeal Cakes With Wild Garlic Pesto Food

SAVORY MILLET CAKES

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in millet and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, for 20 minutes. Stir in zucchini, carrot, Parmesan, thyme, lemon zest and pepper. Cook, uncovered, maintaining a simmer and stirring often to keep the millet from sticking, until the mixture is soft, very thick and the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and let stand, stirring once or twice, until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
• With dampened hands, shape the millet mixture into 12 cakes or patties, 3-inch diameter (a scant 1/3 cup each).
• Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add 4 millet cakes and cook until the bottoms are browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes with a wide spatula and cook until the other side is browned, 3 to 5 minutes more. Coat the pan with cooking spray again and cook the remaining cakes in batches, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning.

MILLET CAKES WITH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Cook the millet according to the package directions until cooked through and fluffy. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, place the carrots, onions, bell peppers, garlic and Italian seasoning in a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are in tiny pieces.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetables. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Place the millet, vegetables and egg in a medium bowl and thoroughly combine. Form patties, about 2 tablespoons each.
• Once all the patties are made and resting on a plate, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties in a single layer and cook until golden, 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool. Repeat with the remaining patties, adding more oil to the skillet, if needed.
• Serve the millet cakes with the basil pesto.
• Place the basil, oil, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth.

WILD GARLIC PESTO

Steps:

• Rinse and roughly chop the wild garlic leaves.
• Blitz the wild garlic leaves, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and pine nuts to a rough paste in a food processor. Season, and with the motor running slowly, add almost all the oil. Taste, season and add a few squeezes of lemon juice.
• Transfer the pesto to a clean jar and top with the remaining oil. Will keep in the fridge for two weeks.