Spotlight on: Millet

Good morning and happy Memorial Day!  I hope you are having a fun and relaxing long weekend.

I wanted to take a minute to talk about one of my very favorite grains: millet!

You may be familiar with millet as a birdseed ingredient, but it is a tasty, nutritious whole grain for humans, too!  It is fast and easy to prepare and full of important nutrients like B vitamins, iron, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus and manganese + protein and fiber.  Millet is also naturally gluten-free, so it is a great option for those who are sensitive.

I always keep a canister of millet on hand to use as an alternative to brown rice, quinoa, or freekeh.  It has a mild nutty flavor and works well in just about any dish that you would use rice in.  You can find it in the bulk bin section of most health food stores, and it is super cheap!

To make rice-style millet, you will need 1 cup of millet plus 2 cups water or broth (use about 2.5 cups if you want a creamier texture).

First, place a saucepan on the stove and turn the heat up to medium.  Add the millet into the pot dry, and allow it to toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.  This step really brings out the nutty flavor of the millet and will keep it from turning into a big pot of mush.

Once the millet is fragrant and a touch brown, add in your liquid and turn up the heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to sit, covered, for a few more minutes.  Then, fluff and serve.

You can add in a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of butter/coconut oil/olive oil while the millet is cooking to give it a little extra flavor. I also sometimes stir in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to make it "cheesy".

Here is some "cheesy" millet with fresh dill from the other night served alongside roasted tofu and sauteed kale.

I almost always make millet this way and use it as a rice substitute, but I've read that you can even include raw millet in baked goods or granola to add crunch.  Alternatively, if you use 3 cups of water instead of 2 and stir the millet as it simmers, it can be made into a breakfast porridge.  What a versatile little grain!

Here's a great article that goes into more detail on the history of millet and the different ways it can be used.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of what has already been a great weekend.  See you soon!

Water-to-Grain Cooking Ratios {A Cute Chart for You}

Since I pretty much prepare some type of grain on a daily basis, you would think I'd have all the cooking methods committed to memory by now. 

Instead, I am always second guessing myself on how much water to use, how long to boil it, etc.  I'll be making brown rice and think, "I need a one-to-two ratio. Or, wait, is that that quinoa?  Maybe it's one to one.  No, that's oatmeal." And so on and so on. 

And then there are times when I get the water amount correct, only to find out that I've accidentally made enough servings to feed an army rather than a family of two. 

To keep the details straight, I created a note on my phone listing all of the water-to-grain ratios along with (roughly) how long to cook each one and approximate serving sizes.  It has come in handy on so many occasions!  I find myself referring to it all the time, so I thought I would create a better-looking version to share with you all. 

I plan to get this list printed in color so I can post it on the little cork square I just added to the inside of my spice cabinet.  It's a perfect place for recipes and cooking notes just like this.  

Now I won't ever have to second guess myself again (at least when it comes to cooking grains, that is!).