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Millet “Polenta” with Green Onion Oil + Eggplant Bacon
5 from 3 votes

Millet “Polenta” with Green Onion Oil + Eggplant Bacon

From ingredients to enjoyment, this recipe makes it easy to create something wonderful.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Course: Breakfast, Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Eggplant Bacon:
  • 1 eggplant large
  • 1 tablespoons salt sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil virgin
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon tamari soy sauce gluten-free
  • 1/2 teaspoon miso mellow or light
  • black pepper to taste, freshly ground
Green Onion Oil:
  • 1/3 cup grapeseed oil divided, or other heat-tolerant oil
  • 1/2 cup green onions white and green parts, chopped, plus extra for garnish
  • salt generous pinch
Millet Polenta:
  • 1 cup millet
  • 2 leek white and light=green parts only, chopped
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 teaspoons miso mellow or light
  • egg for serving (optional, fried

Instructions

To Make the Eggplant Bacon:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a cooling rack on top of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut off both ends of the eggplant. Then, with the cut button end flat on the cutting board, cut the eggplant down the middle. Lay each half, cut side down, on the board, and slice into 1/4-inch strips.
  2. In a large colander, layer the eggplant strips, sprinkling liberally with sea salt as you go. After you finish the layering, let the eggplant sit for 15 minutes. I usually set the colander over a plate or in the sink to collect the liquid escaping the eggplant.
  3. Rinse the eggplant thoroughly. Towel-dry-the pieces of eggplant, and arrange them on the rack-fitted baking sheet.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider, vinegar, smoked paprika, tamari, and miso. Brush half of this mixture onto the eggplant strips. Season the eggplant with black pepper.
  5. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the eggplant and use tongs to carefully flip over all the strips. Brush the remaining half of the oil and maple syrup mixture onto the exposed side the eggplant. Season the eggplant with black pepper once more. Roast the eggplant for another 15 minutes or until you start seeing some crisped edges. Serve eggplant bacon hot.
To Make the Green Onion Oil:
  1. Heat the 1/3 cup of grapeseed oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the oil starts shimmering or rippling, it should be hot enough. Carefully transfer the chopped green onions to the oil. Let them sizzle and fry until they turn bright green and fragrant, about 15 to 20 seconds.
  2. Carefully transfer the oil and green onions to a blender. Add a fat pinch of salt and blend until the oil appears creamy and green with no visible chunks of green onion. Set aside.
To make the Millet Polenta:
  1. In a food processor or blender, grind the millet until the texture resembles coarse flour. Set aside.
  2. Return the saucepan to the stove over medium heat with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the leeks and stir. Cook until the leeks are quite tender, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and miso to the pan, and bring to a boil. Slowly sprinkle in the ground millet flour while whisking. Keep whisking the ground millet and stock until you have a thick, cooked, polenta-like mixture.
  3. Serve the millet polenta hot with drizzles of the green onion oil (there will be extra--store remainder in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week) and chopped green onion on top. I added a few fried eggs for a full breakfast experience but of course, that's optional.

Nutrition Information

Serving 4g

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 4g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.