the millet files #1: a rude introduction
this is what happens when you are distracted while shopping on Amazon
The latest development in ✨being me✨: I bought a 25 pound bag of millet. I thought it was dry black beans. This is my story.
I wanted to have what I thought would be at least a 6-month supply of black beans. I love cooking them in chicken broth in the slow cooker and to have them in the fridge as a back-up/extra protein plan. I make my own “refried” black beans, and I make a solid black bean soup. So 25 pounds of dry black beans sounded like a great idea. But I didn’t order black beans, I ordered millet.
25 pounds is a comical amount of millet. Imagine opening what you thought was 25 pounds of black beans and finding millet instead. And then realizing you can’t return a food item from Amazon because you opened it. What does one do besides channel their inner Tim Gunn and make it work, designer? I fully intend to use this whole goddamn bag of millet, and you’re coming with me on this journey. I’ll call it The Millet Files 🌾🌾🌾
Millet is actually a phenomenal substitute for steel cut oats, so this absent-minded mistake of an Amazon purchase was actually a blessing in disguise. For whatever reason our Costco decided to stop selling steel cut oats. Our family eats a lot of oatmeal - it’s had an absolute chokehold on our breakfast rotation since our son started eating solid foods - so the lack of an option to buy in bulk was devastating. Rolled oats just aren’t the same, texturally or nutritionally. I like my oatmeal to have a little chewiness, which you can’t get with rolled oats. And nutritionally-speaking, the more intact a grain is, the more it retains its nutrients. But we’re here to talk about millet.
A very common grain in many places outside the US, millet is estimated to feed ⅓ of the world population in various areas of Africa and Asia where its origins lie. So impressive! As a drought-resistant crop with short cultivation cycles, it is one of the more sustainable options among the cereal grains. The food industry being what it is in the United States, I hadn’t stumbled upon millet as an ingredient until I started devoting a lot of my time to cooking my own food. But I still didn’t go much further than one no-bake recipe, so no cooking involved! (And this is why I still associate it with birdseed rather than food for humans, but I have also owned a cockatiel for 15 years…) As a crop that is feeding ⅓ of the world, many cultures have obviously retained their traditional preparations of millet and I intend to explore them here on this part of the newsletter. After all, I have 25 pounds to work with!
Nutritionally, millet has a lot to offer. Below are some of the key nutritional facts that I picked up from Healthline where you can read more in detail:
gluten-free (good for celiac disease and grain sensitivities)
low-glycemic index (good for diabetics)
can help lower cholesterol (good for just about everyone who consumes the Standard American Diet)
rich in antioxidants and fiber
per 1 cup cooked: 6g protein, 25% Daily Value (DV) phosphorous, 19% DV magnesium, 13% DV calcium (finger millet variety)
this is the highest concentration of calcium found in cereal grains
decent source of iron, folate, and other B vitamins
antinutrient levels can be problematic if overconsuming (more than ⅓ of diet), can block your body’s absorption of minerals
Obviously our first venture into Millet Land was taking the breakfast porridge route. Delightful. Very easy. Makes a solid amount for 3 people (or 2 adults and 1 toddler who eats like an adult) to share and save for an easy leftovers breakfast. It’s what I imagine Goldilocks burned the shit out of her mouth on. Take a lesson from her, and please let it cool down properly. And no breaking and entering.
When searching for recipes, I found the majority of millet porridges were coming from vegan food blogs, so they were made with plant-based milks. Nothing wrong with that, whatsoever! I’ve been known to make my own nut milks with a handy tool called the Almond Cow, one of my favorites. Lots of health issues are becoming more commonly addressed and treated with plant-based diets, so I’m actually not surprised at all to see millet being hailed as a vegan savior. As mentioned above, millet is a great grain to use in the diets of those who are dealing with diabetes, those who want to lower their cholesterol, and those that have gluten allergies and sensitivities.
But whole milk will work just fine - I used a little bit less in the average 3:1 water to milk ratio, mainly to conserve milk, and it came out great. I imagine that a last-minute drizzle of heavy cream over the top would be a most welcome addition and make things just that much fancier. Our breakfasts deserve a little bit of flair too 💃🏻
Below, you’ll see two versions of millet breakfast porridge - sweet and savory. I love that both the thinner texture and the more neutral flavor of millet allows for this kind of flexibility. A savory oatmeal can be done, but I find that oats tend to lean to the sweet side all on their own, so we can just leave oatmeal to be a sweet breakfast item.
This would also make a great introduction-to-solids food for the infants who are chomping, or gumming, at the bit to consume things other than breast milk or formula. Keep it plain at first, nothing beyond the millet cooked in water and the pinch of salt. The amount of salt used in this recipe shouldn’t be too much of a concern here since it is just a pinch. If baby has already been introduced to dairy or nuts, feel free to use the whole milk/nut milk in the liquid portion.
And this is definitely a “spoon food”, so you can help baby by feeding directly into their mouth or guide the spoon in their hand and narrate the action to help them connect what you’re saying to what they’re doing. But also babies love exploring with their hands, so get messy!
Disclaimer: I am not an infant feeding therapist, but my son had one for his first year of life. Marie was one of many incredible medical professionals that helped us navigate our unique entrance to early parenthood. If you have any questions or are needing any professional guidance in this area, you can reach out to her on Instagram or her website. She is the best!
I do recommend soaking the millet overnight with a splash of apple cider vinegar (ACV). This helps to lower the antinutrient levels (read the Healthline article to understand more), and the texture is a little more cohesive. I like to use a 2-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup - make sure that there is at least 1 inch of water above the top of the millet, add the ACV, then drape a towel over to avoid any bugs from landing in it. Rinse under cold water just before cooking.
MILLET BREAKFAST PORRIDGE
makes approx 4 cups
Ingredients
1 cup millet, soaked overnight, drained + rinsed
3 ½ cups water
½ cup whole milk
pinch salt
sweet version:
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
sweetener of choice (maple syrup, brown sugar, honey)
toppings + mix-ins
dried fruit: raisins, blueberries, cherries, cranberries
frozen fruit: blueberries
fresh fruit: banana, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries
nut butters: peanut butter, almond butter
nuts + seeds: chopped pecans/walnuts/almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts
shredded coconut
savory version:
½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup thinly sliced green onion
1 cup pre-sautéed vegetables from my previous post
2T everything bagel seasoning
protein options: fried egg, bacon, crumbled breakfast sausage, lox
amount should be to your liking - you can have the proteins be the main feature and the millet as the side; you can mix the proteins in for a more even distribution
Directions
in a heavy saucepan (2 ½ quart), add the rinsed millet and liquids
over medium heat, bring the mixture to halfway between a simmer and a boil - more activity than infrequent bubbling, less aggressive than a roiling boil, just don’t let it foam
lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid any sticking to the bottom
recommended, but optional: spoon ⅔ of the mixture into a blender, blend until smooth, add back to the saucepan
turn off the heat, add a pinch of salt, then mix in your ingredients to make it either sweet or savory - suggestions above
serve warm (aka “just right”)
Notes:
tsp = teaspoon ; T = tablespoon
sweet version: I like to have each person put their own sweetener in, to their own tastes, so add after serving in each bowl - this probably looks like 1 tsp maple syrup per cup of millet porridge.
And please remember ***NO HONEY FOR BABIES UNDER 1***
savory version: like the sweet version, I like to have each person put their own salted butter in, to their own tastes.
But that’s not all millet can do! The only time I’ve used millet in the past is in a wonderful Bad Manners (formerly known as Thug Kitchen) recipe for Buckeyes. If you’re not familiar: they are heaven 🍫🥜 You can also add millet to various baked goods and breads, use it to thicken soups, add it to salads, and you could probably use it to caulk your tub! What can’t millet do??
Well, there’s so much millet left in my pantry, so buckle up!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here.
❤️ Sarah