Just a few days ago on my social pages, I talked about the importance of varying our diet, not always consuming only pasta and rice, but also trying other grains! Well, today I’m showing you a truly tantalizing recipe based on millet, a very underrated grain, whose nutritional properties are indeed many, which is why we should start reevaluating it as an integral part of our diet. In Ancient Rome, millet was consumed, especially in the Middle Ages, as a replacement for meat, but later, with the economic boom, it began to be considered only as bird feed. Fortunately, in recent years, the benefits of its consumption have been reevaluated, allowing it to finally return to our tables! Among its numerous properties are its energizing qualities; furthermore, millet is highly digestible and gluten-free. Moreover, the proteins it is rich in are qualitatively superior to those of any other grain and are easily assimilable. Its versatility makes it perfect for preparing various recipes, including soups, croquettes, and even desserts. Today, I will show you how to use it to make delicious and tasty vegetarian-style balls, enriched with good cauliflower stewed in a pan with sun-dried tomatoes and capers! The result was surprisingly successful! With these portions, you can also serve them with the excess cauliflower, preparing both a main dish and a side in one recipe! Not bad, right? I chose to bake them because, as you know, this method suits me better, but nothing prevents you from frying them in a pan or air fryer. And since Christmas is approaching, why not propose them in your holiday menus? You’ll see, they’ll disappear fast!
Source: https://www.viversano.net/alimentazione/mangiare-sano/miglio-proprieta/
Meatball mania? Then you absolutely have to try these other ideas, all of which are very tasty and healthy:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: approx 24 balls
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, at no additional cost to you!
- 1 cauliflower
- 120 g hulled millet
- 60 g scamorza cheese
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 30 g salted capers
- 2 tablespoons Grana Padano cheese, grated
- to taste breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (+ to taste)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools:
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, at no additional cost to you!
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
- 1 Lid
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Casserole
- 1 Peeler
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Gloves
- 1 Baking Pan
- 1 Parchment Paper
Steps
Start by preparing the cauliflower, removing the outer leaves and the central core, then with a large knife, slice it and reduce it into florets of the same size for even cooking.
In a large pan, sauté the garlic with 2 tablespoons of oil.
Add the cauliflower florets and let them season for a couple of minutes over high heat.
Cover with 10 fluid ounces of hot water, cover with a lid, and stew for roughly 25 minutes or until the cauliflower appears soft.
In the meantime, drain the sun-dried tomatoes and chop them very finely with a knife.
Rinse the millet several times under running water, then put it in a casserole and toast it for a couple of minutes without adding anything else.
Then cover it with lightly salted water, enough for cooking (about 23 ounces) and boil it according to the times written on your package.
It will take about 15-20 minutes, by the end of which the millet should have absorbed all the water and thus maintained its beneficial properties.
Transfer it to a strainer to let it cool and disperse any residual water.
When the cauliflower appears cooked but not mushy, season with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the capers previously desalted under running water, and let it season for a few more minutes.
Turn off, let cool and transfer half of the cauliflower (the rest will serve as a side dish) into a large bowl.
Then add the now cold millet and season with the grated cheese.
Mix with your hands, using latex gloves.
You should obtain a homogeneous and compact mixture that you will let rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
After this time, take small portions of the mixture, press it well between your hands compacting it and place a cube of scamorza cheese in the center.
Close it on itself until you form the ball, then roll it in breadcrumbs.
Continue like this until the mixture is used up, transfer the balls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and drizzle with a little oil on the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 392°F for 25 minutes, then flip them over and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Turn off and serve immediately while hot and melty!
And voilà… the millet balls with cauliflower, sun-dried tomatoes and capers are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 Millet balls can be stored for 1 day at room temperature and for 3-4 days in the refrigerator inside a suitable airtight container. They can also be frozen, either before or after cooking.
👉 Millet balls can be stored for 1 day at room temperature and for 3-4 days in the refrigerator inside a suitable airtight container. They can also be frozen, either before or after cooking.
Tips, Notes, Variations and Suggestions
🟣 You can vary these balls, naturally adding spices and herbs as desired, such as rosemary which goes well with sun-dried tomatoes. You could choose to replace the sun-dried tomatoes with mushrooms in oil or pitted olives.
🟣 For a richer flavor, you can embellish the mixture with diced cold cuts like ham, salami or provolone cheese cubes.
🟣 For a completely veggie version, you can omit the scamorza and grated cheese and make a light batter with water and chickpea flour before rolling them in breadcrumbs.
🟣 For a completely veggie version, you can omit the scamorza and grated cheese and make a light batter with water and chickpea flour before rolling them in breadcrumbs.
