Millet Stuffed Peppers

I don't know why I have never thought of millet vs. rice when I stuffed peppers to freeze last summer.   I'm very happy with the taste of my "thrown together" recipe too.  We had a so-so bell pepper year, so I had to (gulp!) buy these (organic of course).  They were pretty large, so I purchased 4, however the amount of filling I made, would have stuffed 5 large peppers.

Here is how I made them, and the next batch I make will be doubled and some frozen for winter.  I have never frozen cooked millet, but from what I have read, it will freeze well.  However to freeze these, I will blanch the peppers first, so the crunch won't be there.  When cooked with fresh peppers, you get a nice crunchy pepper.

Made with organic ingredients, home grown etc.  


Millet Stuffed Peppers
5 large bell peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
Set aside and continue:

1 cup millet, rinsed
3 cups broth (your choice, vegetable or chicken)
Cook millet per instructions.  My instructions said to bring it to a boil, cover, simmer 20 minutes or so until liquid is absorbed. 

I removed it from the pan and poured it into a mixing bowl and rinsed out my pot.

Add:
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 tomatoes, diced (thawed frozen, or fresh, or canned)
1 jalapeno (or 2, or hot pepper of your choice), optional
3/4 tsp. cumin (I may add more next time)
Fresh cilantro (I was lucky to have a handful in the herb garden) 

I poured 1 pint of homemade tomato sauce into the bottom of a glass baking dish and placed the stuffed peppers on top.  I baked it for 20 minutes or so, at 350°F.  The peppers will be crunchy, but delicious. 

We topped our peppers with the sauce, and some grated Parmesan cheese.  My vegetarian daughter was slobbering over hers, and saying she wanted my recipe for herself.  I had to laugh, because she's not been eating any of my vegetarian meals lately (she wants to be a grown up and buy her own groceries, but has realized she is too lazy to cook healthy).

When I tossed the mix together, I never measured the amount of cumin, so I am estimating.  I may had a bit more the next time I make them.

I want to try adding my homemade sausage to this for us meat eaters here too. 

I will still freeze some peppers using Mama Pea's recipe with beef and rice too.  I'm just tickled I found another way to incorporate millet into our diet and not have it taste so-so.

Millet is packed with B vitamins and other important nutrients.  Update:  The remaining millet filling was combined with scrambled eggs and eaten on tortillas for breakfast.  The taste?  Delicious!  The garlic brings out a good flavor. 

Millet Crust ~ Fruit Trees

Looking for ways to cook green beans? Or Millet?

We had a very good harvest of green beans and this combination of vegetables was not only delicious, but utilized my garden goods we stocked up on.

Here is what I did using organic and homegrown ingredients.

New Blooms ~ Rain ~ Library Visit

Despite the weeds multiplying here this season, I am still getting some new blooms in the flower beds.  I've been dodging the rain showers (and storms) and cutting flowers to bring inside.

You can see the bees are very busy this year in the flower beds too.

Home Canned Potatoes ~ On the Wild Side

We were to get a low of an actual temperature of -15°F last night, but it we may have hit -17.  We were told the wind chill could be as cold as -23°F last night.  

Okay, okay.  I retract on saying I wanted this month to slow down so I can meet goals.  It can speed right back up and pass on by.  I'm so ready to get out of "dodge" right now.

Almost every school closed today, so I actually slept in this morning.  I decided to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast. 

Yesterday I had to open my bill paying folder.

Honey-Ginger Carrots ~ More Ways to Use Millet ~ Cold Coffee

I pulled the last two bags of garden carrots from the freezer.  I added them to dinner last night, and made Honey-Ginger Carrots.  It's very simple to make too.

 (Homemade tuna and noodle using homemade mushroom soup and soy free tuna, honey-ginger carrots and organic peas).

Boil the carrots

Snow arrives...

I took this photo Monday morning.  Winter has officially arrived - rain, freezing rain, snow and bitter temperatures (but not as bad yet as last winter).  

Yesterday, although a bit cold, the sun was shining and there was a pretty good wind out there.

Larger towels were dried in front of the wood stove.


I've sort of been hibernating and ever so slowly finishing up some crochet and knitting ventures.  

I took this crochet project camping in August of 2014.  I found it in a bag in my closet while cleaning. . . .

Random Tidbits ~ Sausage and Kale Millet Skillet

I was up, and sipping through my first cup of coffee Tuesday morning, when my phone rang about 7:00am.  

Barn Cat Tote Shelters ~ Tidbits ~ I got "notered"

Our 18 year-old daughter wanted to make new winter shelters for the barn cats, so we decided on making one to see if they will use them.  We've always used totes at the door, packed with blankets, but this time we made these:

Curried Sweet Potato and Millet Soup with Pumpkin Cornbread

In my quest for locating more good millet recipes, I found some in a cookbook I already had.

Although the recipe I tried is in the book, it's also online if you are interested in making it - Curried Sweet Potato and Millet Soup.  I substituted pure maple syrup with our homemade corn cob syrup.

The results?  

Fall Ends ~ Blueberry Millet Muffins

Yesterday morning there was a layer of fog over the fields.  Kind of pretty and perfect for a Halloween-ie type photo.

 

Walking to the mailbox I discovered

Chicken Millet Burritos ~ Tidbits ~ Candy Corn

Woke up to fog.  And cold.  I left windows open all night due to the warm weather.  We woke up to a pretty cold house.  Brr.  The kids have a 2 hour delay today, so I actually slept in for once.  

Tidbits and To-do's ~ Surprise Mail ~ Millet Skillet

With a growling stomach yesterday morning, I randomly wrote out my "to-do" list.  It never has a particular order, and anything not completed simply rolls over into the next day.  Interruptions can do that.  

It was still too wet outside, and everything was still dripping in the bright sun, so I concentrated on the indoor work.  

The weather however, was excellent for laundry on the line.

Millet ~ The Secret Ingredient

Millet cannot be bought in stores here, so I did/do have to order this online.  Funny thing is, is that it arrived timely with Hubby's sugar issues.   This brand is non-gmo as well as organic.

Millet is what they call a "smart carb" so I wanted to try it for a healthy grain in our meals.  It is said to help maintain blood sugar levels.  And of course, it has a lot more benefits than that.