millet

All posts tagged millet

Creamy Multigrain Porridge

Posted by annauk1 on July 9, 2014

Posted in: Breakfast, healthy recipes, Oats, Superfoods. Tagged: amaranth, barley, grains, millet, oats, pearled spelt, pseudograins, quinoa, rye. 3 Comments

I have packets upon packets of grains/pseudograins in the cupboards which I’m trying really hard to make good use of!

Luckily my love affair with porridge continues.

Today’s version contains no less than 6 grains!
Here we have a creamy porridge containing:

Rolled oats
Barley flakes
Rye flakes
Millet flakes
Quinoa flakes and
Amaranth.

All these are either grains which have been ‘rolled’ (flattened) and turned into flakes, or a tiny grain like amaranth.
This ensures that they all cook in roughly the same time.

Of course you can use any combination of the above, or just one or two of them.

You will need half a cup of mixed grains as listed

Toast the grains for a couple of minutes with a small knob of butter (about half a teaspoon) of course you could also you coconut oil if you prefer, which I sometimes do 🙂

The grains will start smelling all comfy and toasty.

This is good.

No, GREAT! 😀

Add one cup of milk (any kind) and half a cup of water, or any combination you like – all milk, all water, or a mixture.

Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, stir constantly while cooking for 12-15 minutes. This will ensure a lovely, creamy porridge with softly cooked grains.
Leave off the heat for a minute or two to thicken up.

Serve with honey and sunflower seeds (my favourite) or any toppings you like- cream, sugar, butter, stewed or fresh fruit….the sky’s the limit!

If you prefer a thicker porridge simply reduce the liquid you add by about a quarter of a cup.

Stick to your ribs good and will keep your tummy nice and filled up for hours! 😀

Or, how about cooking some pearled spelt until tender (in plenty of boiling water) then the next morning adding it to your porridge as it’s cooking? Toothsome, creamy, delicious.

No wonder I’m still addicted to Diana Henry’s book ‘A change of Appetite’ 😀

Easy Bacon, Leek & Cheese Brown Rice Risotto (For Non-Conformists)

Posted by annauk1 on March 9, 2014

Posted in: Breakfast, healthy recipes, rice, Risotto, Superfoods, Whole-grain Mornings. Tagged: brown rice, farro, millet. 8 Comments

I’ve been trying lately to increase the amount of wholegrains in my daily diet.

I figure if I’m going to eat grains, and I definitely am..(I just can’t do low-carb for a sustained length of time! I get cravings for carbs upon carbs!)

So, it’s best, in my life instead, to cut out ‘bad’ refined carbs.

For instance today, I’ve tried farro for the first time – in my breakfast,
millet – in a delicious, crunchy topping for yoghurt and brown rice – which I’ve used for a darn tasty risotto.

Do people still say ‘darn’? Hmmmm…;)

It all started with ‘Wholegrain Mornings’ by Megan Gordon just the bestest ever Breakfast book! It totally inspires me to try new (to me) grains.

There seems to be a little debate as to what farro actually is, but from what I’ve read it appears to be an ancient form of wheat grain, which can also include spelt, depending on the size of the grain. Spelt being the largest grain.
The type of farro I have is called ‘semi perlato’ or semi-pearled, which means it contains, some, but not all of its bran and nutrients.
Hey look, it’s a wonder I even found that around here! 😉

The farro breakfast bowl is made up of cooked farro, apples cooked in coconut oil, toasted and chopped hazelnuts and dried bilberries (the original recipe uses dried cranberries)
You’ll just have to buy the book for the exact recipe. I don’t think the author would be too happy with me if I shared recipe after recipe of hers, however amazing I think they are!

Now, isn’t this just really pretty?
Originally made with quinoa, I subbed millet, which made for a really crunchy yoghurt topper, sweetened with maple syrup and with added sesame seeds and almonds. It’s just so good! Just make sure you check your teeth before leaving the house.
That millet gets everywhere! 😉

Now to the risotto. Made with short-grained brown rice.
You need plenty of time to make this! We’re talking maybe an hour and a half start to finish. The great thing about this recipe being that it needs no baby-sitting, no mindless stirring (which I do quite enjoy- but not for 55 minutes!)

Bacon, leek & cheese brown rice risotto
Serves 2.

1 tbsp butter
1 medium leek, cut into quarters lengthways and then sliced thinly crossways
100g bacon lardons
1 cup (200g) short grain brown rice
150ml white wine
1 litre chicken stock
75g cheddar cheese.

1. Fry the leek and lardons in the butter until lightly browned.

2. Add the rice, stir around a couple of times until it’s glistening in the buttery juices.

3. Add the wine, let it bubble away for a minute or two for the strong alcohol aroma to evaporate.

4. Now for the leap of faith – be brave – trust me – add ALL the chicken stock. bring to a boil, turn heat down to low- medium and let it simmer for 50-55 minutes, it needs this long to cook, it really does.

Give the risotto an occasional, languorous stir….

5. By the end of the cooking time, the stock will have evaporated, the rice grains will be plump and swollen, but still chewy and toothsome (al dente)

6. Turn off the heat, add the cheese, and give it a couple of stirs.
You shouldn’t need any seasoning – what with the bacon and cheese, which are both salty, but do check.

7. Give it a couple of minutes to settle – serve, and above all enjoy!

I promise you, hand on heart, there is no difference at all, between risotto made this way and risotto made in the ‘proper’ way with the stock added a little at a time while being stirred constantly.

I really enjoyed this, real comfort food made with brown rice? What’s not to like 🙂

Five-Grain triple-coconut Powermeal

Posted by annauk1 on February 23, 2014

Posted in: Breakfast, coconut oil, easy, healthy recipes, Oats, Superfoods, Whole-grain Mornings. Tagged: barley, coconut oil, millet, oats, quinoa, rye. 2 Comments

Ok, so there’s no such thing as ‘powermeal’ I just made it up. I couldn’t call this superfood breakfast ‘oatmeal’ because it’s made with five different grains and I definitely don’t want to call it ‘porridge’ because this just brings up negative connotations to me – gloop, glue and wallpaper paste….You know the drill, readers! 😀 This is none of those things you’ll be pleased to know 🙂

I love easy Sunday mornings, warm and snuggly, no reason to get dressed (yet!) and lots of time to debate what we want for brekkie…
I’m pushing for the Powermeal because when you go into the local health food shop and practically clear them out of every type of wholegrain flake packet they have, then you really should make good use of them!

Either that, or I’ll be throwing unopened packets out after the ‘Sell-by’ date has passed! 😉

This Powermeal contains:

1. Oat flakes
2. Millet flakes
3. Barley flakes
4. Rye flakes and
5. Quinoa flakes….

AND 3 forms of coconut, a true superfood (and one of my favourites) – coconut oil, dessicated coconut (or coconut flakes)and coconut cream.

Let’s get on with making it….

Five-Grain Triple-Coconut Powermeal
Inspired by ‘Wholegrain Mornings’ by Megan Gordon.
Serves 3.

1 cup mixed wholegrain flakes
1tbsp coconut oil
1 cup milk (any type, or water)
1tbsp dessicated coconut, or coconut flakes
Grated coconut cream and honey to serve.

1. Toast the flakes, in the coconut oil, over a low-medium heat, for between 5-7 minutes, until they become dark golden, toasted and fragrant. Begin with the more robust flakes – the rye, oats and barley, before adding the more delicate ones – quinoa and millet flakes, a couple of minutes later.

Keep an eagle eye on the quinoa and millet flakes especially, as they can go from toasty to burnt in the blink of an eye!

2. Add the milk, which you have heated to almost boiling and the dessicated coconut.
If you prefer you can add the coconut in the last minute or two of toasting time, but keep an eye on it as it burns very easily. Stir once.

3. Turn off the heat, take off the burner if you have an electric hob (as the heat is held for much longer than a gas hob) and leave for 7 minutes.

4. Stir once. Serve with extra milk or cream, grated coconut cream and honey to your taste.

Bear in mind that the Powermeal is toothsome and chewy, much like a very, very soft granola. But without the hard edges. Yum.

Now, doesn’t that taste and feel like it’s doing you good! 😀 An absolute powerhouse of a breakfast!