millet misunderstandings
It seems not even the impending move can stop me having a cleaning break and cooking. Even though I create more mess to clean up. Makes me happy so I’m going with it. I’m killing two birds with one stone (horrible saying, poor poor birds) by usuing up stuff in the cupboard and cooking with it, so I don’t have to move it. Genius. Honestly, I just need a break form trying to scrub fly-screens. I think these are the most annoying things to clean. Ever. Those and that massive oil stain on our drive way. Stupid truck. Bring on the high pressure hose.
I have noticed a bit of confusion and misunderstanding around when it comes to millet. Millet has a poor reputation it seems (bird food, anyone?) I think possibly people are just not cooking it in a way that shows of it’s potential. Millet can be quite boring and stodgy when cooked and used as simply a rice substitute… it’s OK, but there are much tastier ways to prepare the stuff.
One awesome way it can be used is as a savoury side dish – a faux mashed potato if you will… also brilliant for babies.
Millet Mash:
- First up, rinse 1/2C millet well in a fine sieve under cold water. Millet is similar to quinoa in the sense it has a bitter taste when this step is not followed. Alternatively you can dry toast the millet in a fry pan as you would nuts or seeds. Just for a few minutes until fragrant. Add this to a small saucepan with 1 vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to a very gentle simmer and wait until the liquid has been absorbed… 20-25 minutes.
- While this is happening, steam 1/2 a cauliflower until tender.
- Combine your cauliflower and stock- cooked millet in a medium mixing bowl with 1/3C nutritional yeast, 2t of vegan spread (Earth Balance, Nuttelex etc) freshly ground black pepper, 1/4t ground white pepper and sea salt to taste (1/4-1/2t depending on how much salt you like).
- Now, mash mash mash.
- Serve as you would mashed potatoes.
- *If you are not vegan, feel free to add grated cheddar cheese, parmesan, blue cheese whatever you fancy*
Fruity Baked Millet Crunch Cereal:
(Vegan, gluten, nut, seed, soy and cane sugar free)
- 1 1/4C raw millet (rinsed under cold running water or dry toasted to remove bitterness)
- 1 1/4C pineapple juice (or any juice you have on hand)
- 1T coconut oil (liquid… or grape seed, rice bran, canola)
- 1T brown rice syrup (or honey/agave)
- 1/4t sea salt
- 1C coconut shreds
- Combine all ingredients well.
- Spread out on a lined baking tray.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 150 degrees C, checking in every 10 to stir.
- Turn down oven to 120 degrees C, cook for another 30 minutes doing the same as above.
- Bake for another 30 minutes at 100 degrees C, then turn off oven leaving tray inside until the oven is cool.
- Store in an airtight jar, as you would granola.
This is a lovely, fruity crunchy cereal that can be used just like granola. I have in the past simply blended up a can of pineapple (no sugar added) instead of using plain juice… this is delicious but you will get those fruit fibres through the mix. Doesn’t bother me. I like this mixed with chia seeds and rice milk… tropical chia pudding. Sprinkle on top of yoghurt, fruit salad, oatmeal, or simply eat with milk.
Here are a few alternative flavour combinations to try…. or let your imagination run wild and all crazy like.
- Apple juice…. cut down coconut shreds to 1/2C, add in 1/2C almonds and 1/2t cinnamon. Stir through sultanas once the mix is cool.
- Cranberry juice….. cut down coconut shreds to 1/2C, add in 1/2 cup pistachios.
- Orange juice…. add in 1/2t ground ginger, 1t grated orange zest. Stir through 1/2C dark chocolate chips once the mix is cool.
- Blackcurrant juice… omit coconut, add in 1/2C sunflower seeds, 1/2C chia seeds. Stir through chopped dried apple once the mix is cool.
Snacking cereal complete, back to scrubbing, scraping and elbow grease action. Oh joy.
Still does look a bit like bird food. Oh well.
19 Responses to “millet misunderstandings”
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Vegan. Stay at home Mum of Misty. Yoga teacher in training. Passionate about REAL food - creating it, eating it, sharing it. I can never stick to a recipe.
millet is just the best, isn’t it? i love it as breakfast with almond butter. Or with dinner. so killing 2 birds with once stone is perfect in my book.
mmm anything with almond butter… just ordered some sunflower butter through iherb – never tried apart from my home made attempts, exciting. Yuck, heard you guys had a decent shake this morning, not cool ;(
I LOVE SUNFLOWER BUTTER!! Youre gonna get hooked. I will send you some from the states too. we can do vegemite/nut butter trades.
You’re on! Oh and I’ll have to send you some Wallaby bars… they are awesome GF muesli bars
i completely agree that you should treat the ingredients with respect as individuals and not try to make them something they’re not. let millet be millet and enjoy it for what it is – not rice!
Amen, sister!
i love millet and often use it for breakfast, with some almond milk, berries or grated apple and raisins. its so tasty. i also love to make millet risotto. I does have a bad reputation but i have made so many great recipes with it, it has become one of my favourites! and this recipe right here is just amazing!
oooo millet risotto sounds great! I think millet and buckwheat would be my top 2 favourites (at the moment!) I love them both for their crunch, texture and nuttiness
AAAAAAH I want! I’ve tried millet a few times but could never seem to get it to cook properly, and so gave up. That cauliflower nooch creation sounds incredible!
Totally recommend the ‘mash’ especially with heaps of nutritional yeast, it really does resemble mashed spud. You should try some millet in your next granola creation, it adds such a nice texture + crunch
I simply MUST try one of these variations. I loathe millet, but I think I fall into the “I-don’t-know-how-to-cook-this-and-so-I-bludgeon-it” category. Thank you for the great ideas!
Welcome! Yes yes, totally give millet a second chance… even just including in a regular granola recipe is awesome. I mash is particularly good if you are craving comfort food, but want a little extra nutrition to boot
It’s like you know about it and you arent going to stop until I USE THAT BAG OF MILLET in my cupboard right!?
Okay lady, before February. I promise.
xoxo
hehehe, totally – my mind can see into your cupboards… you are going to learn to LOVE millet!
Great millet recipes!! Look forward to trying the mashed millet + cauliflower =)
It’s really yummy! Surprisingly so!
Okay, I’m CRACKING UP at your reference to it looking like bird food… I just made a breakfast cereal mix last week that I am going to blog either today or tomorrow, and it has millet it in, and I’ve totally been calling it Purple Bird Seed. No sh*t.
It IS actually used as chicken feed. Funny huh. Then there are all the comments like ‘you eat like a bird.’ huh I’m a pretty well fed bird then
Oooh, man, so yum.. Millet is a really alkaline grain which makes it great for your bone density too! <3 I'm bookmarking this wonderful post, because I desperately need to eat more of it, and your millet concoctions look divine!<3 xyx