RECIPESOCTOBER 14, 2011

sweet breakfast millet

You’ve heard it before: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Choose something that will fuel you to breeze through the busiest of schedules. Make a good choice in the morning, and you will feel encouraged to stay on track for lunch and dinner, too.

If you are a cereal person, you may want to read this article about what good be lurking in your favorite box. Swap out the boxed stuff for a hearty, warming bowl of ‘old-fashioned’ cereal. Oatmeal is a great choice, but to switch things up, try a brown rice porridge, or a millet version.

Like quinoa, millet is a ‘psuedo grain.’ It’s nutritional profile has all of the essential amino acids, and is a great source of protein, iron, magnesium, and B-vitamins.

Millet has a naturally sweet, nutty taste; if you haven’t tried it before, this recipe is a great way to experiment. To cook millet, bring 3 cups of water to a boil, stir in the millet, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes (or until all the water has absorbed). Let it sit for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a wooden spoon.

This recipe was featured at my at my natural foods boot camp last year, and it was a crowd favorite.

Millet Porridge with Banana, Walnuts + Dates

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked millet (or brown rice)
2 tablespoons dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened (almond, coconut, rice, etc)
1 cinnamon stick
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
1 banana, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Procedure:

Combine millet, dates, milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-20 minutes, until grains begin to swell. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and coconut oil. Spoon into bowls, and top with banana and walnuts.

Yield: 3-4 servings