Lamb & Millet day!

In keeping with making this a manageable task for me, I just going to write down what we're eating when it seems interesting, posting actual recipes as appropriate.

Menu for Thursday 3/5

Breakfast: Blackberry millet scones

Lunch: Potatoes, turnips, parsnips, leeks, beet greens & mushrooms, stewed in lamb stock = instant stew.

Dinner: Braised "BBQ" lamb ribs, kale & leeks, millet & flax flatbread.

Millet Scones

1 1/4 C millet flour
1/4 C potato flour
1/2 C tapioca starch
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C succanat or brown sugar
1/4 C shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg equivalent (we used Ener-G egg replacer)
3/4 C water (or milk)
1/2 cup blackberries

Preheat Oven to 400*F.

Cream shortening & sugar. Add vanilla. Add egg equiv.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Stir dry ingredients into shortening mixture.

Add water. Gently mix in berries.

Knead and press into an 8in round flat shape on a greased baking pan.

Cut into 8 pieces, but don't separate.

Bake 20 or 25 minutes.

Millet & Flax Flatbread

1 C millet, fresh ground
2 T flaxseed, fresh ground
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
water

Mix dry ingredients. Pour in water until you get a thick gruel. Cook stovetop in small batches like little pancakes.

Roasted Chicken & Turnip Greens over Penne with Sweet Potato Fries

We had a potluck picnic to attend last night. Prior to our all consuming allergy situation, I would have brought hummus and pita, potato salad, tuna pasta salad, chips and salsa or cheese and crackers. Basically, your traditional summer picnic fare. Now, however, I have a bit of a challenge. I need to think of things that I can make in advance, that travel well and that are easy to eat in public. And are yummy and nutritious. Of course.

Yesterday, we settled on pasta, since my kids will eat it no matter what. I don't know about yours, but my children almost abjectly refuse to eat unless they are sitting in their chairs at home (or strapped into the carseat - something about the car makes them both suddenly starving). It doesn't help that the picnic was at a park with two fantastic play structures and a nice paved bike path. Lily is very into her big wheel right now, so she spent most of her time riding back and forth on one section of the loop. Here is the recipe that enticed her off of her big wheel, if only for 3 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

PASTA

• Roasted chicken - 1 breast, 1 thigh, 1 drumstick - chopped up
• Turnip Greens
• Brown Rice Noodles (Penne)
• 1/2 cup, approx, chicken bone broth (or water)
  
• Onion
• Parsley
• Olive oil
• Spices, several pinches of each, to taste: sea salt, pepper, sage, fennel, thyme, rosemary, basil, marjoram*
  

*the idea here was to mimic the flavor of an italian sausage - hence the sage & fennel

FRIES

• one large sweet potato, cut into fries or wedges or chunks
  
• coconut oil (roughly 2 Tbsp)
• sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

PASTA

1. Saute onion in olive oil with sea salt.
   
2. When onions are translucent, add remaining spices (including parsley) and the bone broth. Simmer for a few minutes.
   
3. Add roasted chicken pieces.
   
4. Add rinsed & chopped greens.
5. Stir greens while sauteing. When they are ready, they will turn bright green and wilt slightly.
6. Stir in prepared pasta. Add more olive oil and sea salt if necessary.
   

Yield: Many. This would serve the four of us plus leftovers more than enough for lunch the next day. Perhaps 4-6 adults, depending on side(s) served?

FRIES

1. Cut sweet potato(es) into whatever type of small pieces to you like - traditional fries, wedges, or chunks.
   
2. Coat with melted (if not already liquid due to it being 80+ degrees outside) coconut oil & sea salt.
   
3. Place in a single row on two baking sheets.
   
4. Bake at 400*F for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes. You want them golden and slightly crispy, but not burnt.
   

Yield: 4-6 as a side dish. Obviously the more sweet potato you use, the more you can serve.

ALTERNATIVES:

PASTA

• Try different greens, or a mixture of greens.
  
• Try turkey or bacon or salmon, or actual sausage (then go easy on some of the sausage spices).
  
• Experiment with different noodle shapes.
  
• Serve over rice or buckwheat or millet or quinoa instead of noodles.
• Add other veggies - zucchini, broccoli, carrots, etc.
  

FRIES

• Try 1/2 sweet potatoes, 1/2 carrots.
• Try different oils.
  
• Add spices like cayenne pepper & paprika for cajun fries.