Millet Porridge Recipe

Okay. I admit "Millet Porridge" doesn't exactly sound like the most appetizing of dishes, but you'll just have to trust me on this one. It is an unbelievably cheap, healthy and delicious breakfast food.

Millet is a grain ... most often used in this country (US) as birdseed(!). That's kind of a shame because the nutritional profile of millet is really outstanding, and when prepared right, it's really tasty: a toasty, buttery, wholesome flavor that just hits the spot on cold winter mornings.

Did I mention that millet is cheap? You can pick some up for about forty cents a quart. And considering that it only takes a quarter cup of the stuff to make one serving of porridge, you're literally eating a wholesome, nutritious meal for about a nickel. I get my millet at the Dekalb Farmer's Market here in Atlanta, but any decent-sized health food store will probably sell it.

Millet Porridge Recipe
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup millet (120 mL)
3 cups water (700 mL)
pinch salt
[Additions to taste: banana, dried fruit, raisins, nuts, apples, strawberries, cinammon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, maple syrup, honey, golden syrup, milk, soymilk, cream]

Measure out the millet and put it in a sieve. Rinse well. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot with a lid. Once the water comes to a boil, throw in the millet and a dash of salt, and turn the heat down low. At this point you can throw in some raisins or other dried fruits, sliced bananas, apples, strawberries, ground spices (think cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves).

Cook the millet mixture, covered, on low for about 30-40 minutes. Voila. You're done.

Spoon it into a bowl and add what you like: milk, a dash of cream (heavenly), a pat of butter, honey, toasted nuts, maple syrup, molasses, or jam. (You can also make your millet porridge the night before and heat it in the microwave in the morning if your breakfasts are typically rushed.)

Enjoy!

*To make millet porridge: just remember 1/4 cup millet per person, cooked in water at the proportion of 6:1. ie six times the amount of water as millet. For one serving cook 1/4 cup of millet in 1 1/2 cups of water. For four servings, cook 1 cup of millet in 6 cups of water, etc.