Annush on the Causeway

This weekend hasn’t felt like much of a long weekend.  I guess that being a SAHG has desensitized me from the long weekend euphoria I used to feel before.  Still, between the zombie apocalypse, marathon sessions of Dexter, parental visits, and accidental ingestion of non-traditional brownies, it has been a very fun couple of days.

It’s actually kinda setting the tone for the week to come… we actually have a very busy week ahead.  Tomorrow we will be at The Stage for Ignite Miami.  If you want to come be enlightened by Hugh and some more of Miami’s finest, you can RSVP here.

On Thursday, I will be at the Westin Colonnade Hotel for Taste of the Gables, a sampling of the restaurants participating in Coral Gables restaurant Week.  If you wanna come, you can purchase your tickets here.

Anyway, last Friday night I was invited by my friends at Gastronomisti to go to a rogue tasting at Copperbox Culinary Atelier.  Although I am not at liberty to tell you about the experience or share any of my pictures, suffice it to say that it was an amazing display of culinary skill in a very cool concept.  Chef Gabriela did an amazing job.  I can’t wait to go back!

My mom and step father also came to town last Friday.

Dominicans celebrate mother’s day the last Sunday in May. So in observance of the holiday, yesterday Hugh and I took my mom (and Juan) to brunch at The Federal.  It was a really good time! I now think that if my mom and Hugh didn’t enough in common, their shared love for cheese bizkits will effectively make them BFFs.

I really love that  Hugh gets along with my family so well. It makes things so much easier!

Today, I don’t think that we will be barbecuing at all.   Of course, our plans are always subject to change, but today I am looking forward to a day of discounted shopping (I LOVE Memorial Day sales!) and a healthy serving of millet patties for dinner.

I found a recipe for millet patties with roasted garlic aioli on Clean Eating magazine that looks absolutely amazing, not to mention nutritious.  Instead of eating something dead today, you may wanna try making these

Millet Patties with Roasted Garlic Aioli
INGREDIENTS:
1 head garlic, 1/2 inch trimmed from top, plus 2 cloves, minced
3 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup whole millet
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup finely grated low‑fat Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup whole‑wheat panko
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
Olive oil cooking spray
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives, plus additional for garnish
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup low‑fat olive oil mayonnaise
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place garlic head on an 8 x 8‑inch piece of foil and drizzle with 1/2 tsp oil. Form foil into a pouch, sealing garlic inside. Roast directly on middle oven rack until cloves are soft and fragrant, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until completely cooled.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add millet and toast, stirring and
shaking pan constantly, until fragrant and grains begin to jump, about 4 minutes. (NOTE: If necessary, cover with a lid; do not leave unattended.) Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil on medium‑high. Add onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent. Stir in millet and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until water is absorbed and millet is tender. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread onto a large baking sheet until cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine carrot, bell pepper, sunflower seeds, dill, Parmesan and 2 tbsp
lemon juice. Add millet mixture and stir to combine. Stir in egg, panko, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Mist a 1/3‑cup measure with cooking spray. Scoop 1/3 cup packed millet mixture and drop onto a large parchment‑lined baking sheet, press into 1/2‑inch‑thick patties, rinsing hands as needed and patting dry, to remove sticky mixture. Repeat with remaining mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare aioli: Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a small bowl. With the back of a spoon, mash cloves. Add chives, remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice, Dijon, mayonnaise, yogurt, remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed
6. Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium and mist with cooking spray. Place 4 patties in skillet. Cook until bottoms are golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, reducing heat if necessary to prevent patties from over‑browning. Mist tops with cooking spray and use spatula to carefully flip each. Cook until golden. Return cooked patties to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining patties. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until heated through. To serve, top each patty with 1 tbsp aioli. If desired, garnish with chives.

I’ll post pictures once I make it if not here, on my Facebook page.

In any case, I hope that today you will also take a minute to think about our men and women in uniform.  I know that it’s easy to get caught up in the fact that it is a day off and that there are a million things going on, still, today was intended to be a day of remembrance so at the very least, give them a minute.

Until next time,
Annush