Purple Haze

I had every intention of coming straight home from the farm and making dinner. I've been looking forward to preparing this meal all day, mentally scrolling through food combinations and imagining the infinite possibilities waiting for me in my spice cabinet. But despite my intentions, priority went to a very messy diaper, not that it would be the first time. 

Thankfully, my mom happened to make oatmeal cookies this afternoon, and they were the perfect snack to hold me over until dinner :)

Once I got Jude fixed up with a clean bottom, I could roll up my sleeves (wash my hands!) and get to work in the kitchen. The main ingredients I'm using for my dish this evening are rather special, well, at least to me. Millet is probably most commonly known for it's role in bird seed, but don't just leave this tasty grain to birds! It can be as creamy as mash potatoes and as fluffy as rice. It is a whole, unrefined grain so it's as good for your body as it is for your taste buds! Large supermarkets and health food stores normally stock this grain, and can be found in the bulk foods or the rice section.

I bought mine from Natural Market in Columbia, where I also scored these amazing purple sweet potatoes. They taste just like regular sweet potatoes so feel free to substitute, I'm just crazy about odd varieties of vegetables so I couldn't pass them up.

Ingredients:

2 Medium Purple Sweet Potatoes, chopped into 1 inch pieces

3 tiny (1 medium, or half of a large) Yellow Onions, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped

2-3 Tbsp. Butter (coconut oil, or olive oil)

Sprinkle of raw sugar or brown sugar

1 cup Millet

2 cups Spinach, chopped

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Cumin

Salt to taste



After chopping the sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and  jalapeno into chunks, I put them in a foil pouch with a couple tbsps. of butter and a sprinkle of raw sugar. Since I already had a fire going I figured I'd let it cook the potatoes for me. While that's going, start your pot with 1 cup millet and 2 cups water. Cook on medium for about 20 minutes.

The sweet potatoes cooked on the fire for about 15 minutes before I threw them in the pot with the millet to let them finish cooking. If you don't feel like building a fire, this foil pouch cooks up great in the oven. I'd say cook them for 30 minutes at 400. Whatever road you take to cook the potatoes, when they become tender toss them in with your millet as well as 2 cups chopped spinach (or other green), a half tsp. of both ground cumin and cinnamon, and salt to taste. This turns into a delectable purple mash, or what I recently renamed it: Purple Haze!