Millet and vegetables casserole recipe

A little bit about millet:

Many people think that millet is made from wheat. These beautiful golden seeds are unjustly forgotten "bread" of the East. In Russia, a couple of hundred years ago millet porridge was the main dish on the table. Our ancestors prepared from millet porridge, beer, cakes, brew, add it to soups and desserts.

Millet is one of the least allergenic grains. It is very easily digested, so it is suitable even for people with sensitive digestion. Millets are rich in B vitamins (especially niacin, B6 and folic acid), calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Millets contain no gluten, so they are suitable for people with celiac disease or other forms of allergies/intolerance of wheat. It also contain the essential amino acids methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E, it's rich in photochemicals including phytic acid, which is believed to lower cholesterol, and phytate, which is associated with reducing cancer risks.

This is russian recipe for healthy Millet and vegetables casserole 

you will need for tasty millet and vegetables casserole

• a cup of dried millet
• zucchini - 1 big or 2 medium
• onion 
• medium carrot
• 2-3 potatoes
• butter, vegetable oil or olive oil
• 2-3 eggs

You can add other vegetables if you want. 

Boil millet in lightly salted water. Onions and carrots finely chop and simmer a little in butter. Grate zucchini and simmer too. Boil the potatoes, then put a piece of butter and make puree.

Mix in a bowl - millet, vegetables, eggs and leftovers butter. Tast for salt. I add a spoonful of sour cream. Put in an casserole and brush the top with egg or sour cream. Better put a thin layer in casseroles, so if you get it a lot of porridge, then put in two casseroles. Put in a preheated 200 degree oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. It depends on the ovens power. I first turn on the heating top-bottom, then grill for last 5 minutes just to get a nice crust.

Serve with sour cream or without it.

Bon Appetite))

Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu - (Pappardelle al Ragu Di Cinghiale)

This recipe has many names, but outside of Italy it is mainly called "bolognese". In fact, this is beef stew with tomatoes, meat can be different, except white (chicken etc). I love pasta with ragu of wild boar or deer, but, unfortunately, this meat is difficult to find in our region, you can find it mainly in the north or in mountainous regions of Italy. But I like it so much! So we went to the Metro (METRO Cash & Carry is an international self-service wholesaler. It operates across Europe and in some countries of Asia and Northern Africa) and bought wild boar meat.

In this recipe you can use any wild meat  - boar, roe, deer, venison... Also beef or other red meat - in this case you don-t need to marinate the meat or leave it in marinade only for few hours

You will need for 6 servings

• 500g - pappardelle pasta 
• 500g - wild boar meat
• a piece of celery
• 1 carrot 
• one large or 2 medium onions
• a few cloves of garlic
• juniper berries
• sage
• rosemary
• thyme
•  1 clove
• red wine, about 300ml, do not buy cheap wine. Talk with a shop assistant at the store  and ask an advice.
• 250-400gr - passata (italian tomatoes sauce)  more for more sauce or less for less quantity of sauce.
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

First you need to marinate the meat for at least 12 hours, better more, it refers to any wild meat. Cut the meat into large pieces, heat the wine. So leave the meat to marinate overnight in a non-reactive bowl in red wine with spices, salt and vegetables, cut into pieces (celery, onion, carrot, garlic). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave overnight. Turn meat several times if you can, and the wine should cover almost all the meat.

In the morning transfer the wild boar to paper towels to drain - then or make forcemeat or cut into small pieces.

Take fresh vegetables, all the same as before - do not take out of the marinade, because they have absorbed the taste wild meat. Finely chop them by knife or in blender. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot. Stew vegetables over medium heat, first the onion and garlic, then add the carrots and celery. Add the meat and stew, stirring constantly, over high heat for a few minutes. Stew until the meat is no longer has the marinade. If your piece of meat was absolutely no fat, you can add a bit of bacon.

Now put passata in the meat, reduce the heat and let stew under the lid for about 2 hours, perhaps even more. Minced meat cook more quickly. Add a little water if required. At the end taste for the salt and put a little if need. Yes you need to put salt only on this stage. Little, if needed. The passata will shrink and if you put the salt before you risk to have your stew very salty at the end.The meat is ready when it has become tender and easy to chew, you can crush with a fork. Bolognese is ready, it can be frozen for later)) By the way, if desired, you can add a bit of red pepper.

When the meat is ready, put the water for the pasta. Cook pasta as written on the package, or better yet, "al dente", as the Italians say, - slightly undercooked. Mix in a stew with pasta in pot, cover it and leave for 1 minute. By the way, very tasty with whole-wheat pasta!

Do not eat nothing before this pasta - maybe something very light, slightly set off the taste of pasta and wine.

Well, time to eat)) By the way,  warm up the plate! otherwice the meat is quickly cooled.

You can sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, but I like without it)

Happy February

Happy February and happy Valentines Day!