Cajun Millet Cakes

[nverland]

Cajun Millet Cakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Yield: 4 servings

1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup uncooked millet
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup diced red onion
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons millet flour
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 to 2 tablespoons neutral oil (for frying)
3 to 4 handfuls baby greens
1/4 cup sliced red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Bring the vegetable broth and millet to a boil. Reduce to a low heat, cover, and let cook for 22 to 24 minutes. Stir the millet starting at about 15 minutes. When done, the water should be absorbed and the millet should clump together when stirred. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a food processor, pulse garlic until minced. Add in red onion and parsley, pulsing again until both are in small pieces. Add in the millet, millet flour, seasoning, salt, and baking powder. Pulse until everything is well combined. Add in the egg and pulse until incorporated. Mixture will be fairly wet. Allow to rest while heating skillet.
Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat (you will want to adjust as you go along). Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wet your hands and scoop out roughly 3 tablespoons of millet mixture and shape into a 1/4″ patty. Place in the skillet and repeat until the skillet is full. Let cook for roughly 3 to 4 minutes, until the patty is crisp and browning. Flip and repeat on the other side. Patty should be crisp on the outside and warm on the inside. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining mixture, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
To assemble the salad, place greens and onions in a bowl. Whisk together the olive, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over the greens and toss until the greens are coated. Add in the millet cakes right before serving.

Tips & Tricks: These grain cakes will work with regular-cooked millet, especially if it sits overnight.

VARIATIONS
Millet has been one of my favorite grains to experiment with because it is versatile- both in flavor and capability. I’m working on methods for other grains to make cakes similar to this (or like these brown rice ones), but a few easy ways to switch these up:

CHEESE: Adding a sharp, shredded cheddar into the cakes creates a lovely, melted cheese after cooking. Or, you can add a tangy feta for a bit more saltiness.

SPICES: Play around with the spice mixtures- I’ve just added a bit of garlic powder and smoked paprika before in place of the cajun spices but so many combinations will work.

EGGS: Instead of tossing these millet cakes in a salad, serve them with a fried egg for breakfast (a favorite of mine).