gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, soy-free, cane-sugar-free
Some people call eating breakfast a “good habit.” I guess they do this because there are many, many people out there who (tragically) do not usually eat this assumed first meal of the day. Their loved ones, doctors, and all health-minded literature encourage them to “get into the good habit of eating in the morning.” I agree with this. In fact, I applaud it. (I nearly cry if, for some evil reason, I do not get to eat breakfast.) But I also find it funny.
Calling breakfast a good habit is like calling inhaling oxygen a good habit. It’s like patting yourself on the back for falling asleep at night. It’s like bragging about the fact that you happened to drink a lot of liquid and then – excuse the blunt delivery – had a nice, long pee.
I do believe breakfast is a good habit. However, the fact that we even find ourselves discussing the importance of this good habit is a bit alarming, no? Breaking the fast after 8 hours of sleep is normal for any and every animal. When did we begin substituting a cup of coffee for morning nourishment? Or worse, a cigarette? Where, along the fabric of our history, did we begin believing going a full day without eating until dinner was normal? That depriving ourselves of breakfast would make us skinnier, better? That retraining our bodies and rewriting our basic instincts so that our morning hunger cues would simply vanish was a good idea? Am I the only one who thinks something isn’t how it should be?
We are so estranged from nature that we don’t even recognize we are.
So let’s go back. Ancient times, ancient grains. Well, gluten free ancient grains… Cue to where we meet millet. I am often thankful for going gluten-free if not for anything but discovering this glorious little grain. Millet holds my heart. Well, it shares it with that one guy in my life for whom I’m explosively thankful. Coincidentally enough, he is the very reason I concocted this alternative dish. He lived in Africa for a stretch, and he told me he used to eat “millet porridge” for breakfast every day there and fell in love with it.
This, he says, is identical.
This, I say, is something to make a habit of.
Millet Porridge
(for two)
1 cup whole millet (Optional: soaked for 7 hours and then toasted for 20 minutes in a 300˚ oven. I do this because the millet I buy at my local grocery store is not pre-washed and it seems to have a slight bitter aftertaste).
2 cups water
2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
dash of salt (a few shakes)
splash of vanilla extract
maple syrup to taste
soy-free Earth Balance to taste
sliced almonds, toasted pecans, or any nut of choice – to taste
Hey Desi, that sounds delicious – I’m going to try it!
Btw, I’ve heard mixed things about whether oatmeal is gluten-free. What do you think? If it passes muster for you, I’ve got a cold cereal I’d recommend.
Hope you’re well,
Kim
Hey Kim! So, so lovely to hear from you! :)
Oats are naturally gluten free. However, oats are primarily grown and processed in the same vicinities as wheat, and so they are subject to contamination and therefore small amounts of gluten. People who are celiacs definitely should not risk eating regular oatmeal. Luckily there are companies like Bob’s Red Mill who make certified gluten-free oats using their own separate fields for growing and vicinities for packaging. This is what I buy! So yes, I would LOVE to check out the cold cereal you have to recommend! Bring it!
xo
Desi
Hey Desi!
Oh, I do get Bob’s Red Mill, though I started because it was the only organic one I saw on the shelf. Anyway, here’s my cereal. I usually mix up a big batch and keep it in the freezer – hope you like it!
1 bag Bob’s Red Mill whole oats
2 boxes organic raisins (the larger ones; not the tiny snack-sized ones)
Roughly 8 oz of walnuts
Roughly 6 oz of sliced almonds
Ground flax seeds (I buy them whole, grind them in a coffee grinder, and store them in the freezer)
Almond milk (I’m a fan of Pacific Natural Foods’)
Each morning, I scoop out 1/3-1/2 cup of the mix, stir in a tablespoon or two of the flax seeds and top it off with almond milk. I let it sit for ~10 mins, until the oats and raisins have softened and absorbed some of the almond milk.
Enjoy!
Kim
Oh. My. That sounds DELICIOUS. I cannot wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe!!! I’m always looking for new breakfast ideas… and this is the perfect addition to my breakfast regimen to add some variety! Yay!! :)
Desi
Yay, I’m glad! Hope you like it!
That porridge looks fabulous, Desi! I do like millet. I admit I’m a little hesitant to eat it lately since the recent pilot study showing that naturally gluten-free grains contained gluten from cross contamination just like oats do unless they are grown in dedicated fields, processed on dedicated equipment, and certified gluten free. I will have to find out if any of the millet is certified gluten free.
Hugs,
Shirley
Thanks, Shirley! Wow – I actually did not catch wind of this recent study… Something is telling me though that I’ve seen packaged millet, quinoa, and other grains with the “certified gluten free” seal of approval. I sure hope I’m not making that up! Keep me updated on what you learn!
xoxo
Desi
Thanks for sharing such a unique recipe! I never thought of using millet in a breakfast porridge!!
Do you think the recipe would turn out the same if I use millet flour instead of whole millet ground up? When you grind it, how fine are you grinding it?
Hey Stephanie! You could definitely try that. It might end up being a little too-er-goopy…? The ground millet is not as finely ground as flour, so it gives it some texture like cream of rice or cream of buckwheat hot cereals. If you do try it though, please report back! :)
Yum! Tried it this morning – delish!
I made this breakfast now a few times & I loved it so much!
Thanks again!! MMMMMM,…:)
YAY! So glad you love it as much as I do. I’m definitely addicted. In fact, I’m addicted to millet in general… I think it’s my favorite grain!
It is my favourite grain too!! I love to use millet flour a lot in my baking!
Me too, Sophie!! It doesn’t have a prominent flavor, so it’s really quite perfect in baking, no?
Totally buying millet when my quinoa supply runs dry. :)
YAYYY! And I’LL be buying quinoa when my millet supply runs dry! :D
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I am sitting here doing my morning blog-read and eating this porridge and it.is.amazing.
I sweetened mine with stevia and added vanilla and cinnamon and it’s like eating a decadent rice pudding. Yum!!!! Thanks for the recipe!!
You are very welcome, Christina! So happy you love it as much as I do. :)
I made this with quinoa and it was delicious! thanks for posting. Just getting it on the blog now.
YUMMMM! Haven’t tried it with quinoa yet (millet is my FAVORITE grain…er… pseudo-grain, in fact), but I plan on doing so soon! Sounds scrumptious! Thanks for commenting! :)
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Yummy! I’ll be reposting this on my blog in the next few days.
Thanks, Jessica! Can’t wait to see it on your blog! :)
A-mazing! I’m pregnant & millet is great for warding off morning sickness & supplies a lot of nutrition for me and the baby. I’m so happy to have found this recipe, as there’s nothing I feel like more than nice, creamy, hot cereal in the morning! I crave this now!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Angela! Your comment made my day! I am SO happy that you and the baby are loving on millet porridge! I had no idea about millet’s power to ward off morning sickness… it just goes to show that food is our greatest medicine, right? :) xo
Do you think I could grind the millet in my coffee grinder which I use for nuts and seeds??
Definitely, Kelly!
Is this supposed to only make 2 servings? I halved the recipe, and it still made a lot! I’m hoping I can somehow reheat the leftovers. It was yummy…thanks for the recipe!
Using 1 cup of millet means 1/2 cup for each person. That is a full bowl of porridge each. I would definitely call that two servings. :) I’m happy you liked it, though! Thank you!
I am a huge millet fan. I love cooked millet with just avocados for lunch. I can’t wait to try this as I am a die-hard porridge fanatic! Thanks for sharing.
Yum! Cooked millet with avocado sounds HEAVENLY. Hope this porridge hits the spot! :)