Millet and Sweet Potato Cakes

It seems like every Sunday evening R and I say to one another, okay. Starting Monday, we're only going to eat healthy. Actually, I don't really believe in only eating healthy, but it's good to start each week with the best intentions I suppose. Another thing is that I'm not really all that into diet books. I don't like the lists of 'good' and 'bad' foods (since when is food a moral question, anyway?) and I don't like all the rules. Oh, and flavor. I don't like the lack of flavor.

But I do like to cook with real food. I love real food. Because real food is colorful and interesting and flavorful, and healthy almost as an afterthought. After a couple of serious successes with Prevention Magazine's recipes (this watermelon tomato salad comes to mind as something I will most likely be craving through the winter), I decided to give one of their cookbooks a try, especially since they're, like, 1 penny on Amazon. The books form a series called 'Eat Up Slim Down' but even if slimming down isn't really on the radar for you, these Sweet Potato and Millet Cakes sure as heck should be. Here's why.

Millet is a delicious whole grain, not overly assertive (less so than, say, quinoa) and it soaks up the stock and holds everything together. Makes the cakes filling as well. Here's another reason. Every normal person I know loves sweet potatoes. I mean, they're the candy of the vegetable world. But not R. R claims to hate them. Until he tried these, which he devoured. Seriously, and I wouldn't lie to you, these patties are so good that they easily come out as my favorite vegetarian patty ever. You should probably try them as soon as you find Millet (try Whole Foods). This recipe makes enough to feed two very, very hungry people who were too lazy to cook much else. Otherwise they can be stretch to feed 4 I would think, if you serve a couple of sides.

Millet and Sweet Potato Cakes
Adopted from Eat Up Slim Down Annual Recipes 2009

1 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup millet
1 small sweet potato, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup mined onion (that's about 1/4 a medium-sized onion)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (you can always use fresh if you have it)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the millet and the broth to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it boils, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer the grain for about 20 minutes. You might need to check the level of the liquid to be sure it doesn't dry up and burn. You know, like rice. The millet will be tender when done.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the sweet potato, onion, eggs, flour, thyme, pepper flakes and salt and pepper. When the millet is done, add it to the potato mixture and toss until everything is well-blended.

Heat a large saute pan and add either oil or cooking spray. Heat over medium-high and drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the pan. Flatten a bit into a patty shape and cook for about 6-7 minutes total, with a flip of the patty in the middle.

UPDATE: There was a typo in this recipe: 1.3 cup millet should have been 1/3 cup millet. I've changed it.