Meal Stretcher Monday: Millet

I keep seeing recipes for quinoa. The problem (other than that it took me weeks to pronounce it correctly) is that the only quinoa (KEEN-wa) that I could find around here was $9 for one pound.

Hm... There's this millet stuff right by there that cost $3 for TWO pounds. I wonder what that is.

Turns out (after a little internet research) that millet is actually often used as a substitute for quinoa! Well, what do you know!




Millet is a gluten-free cereal grain that grows well in the poorer soils in more arid regions, like India and Africa. It's protein content is similar to wheat, and it's pretty high in B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Millet has a light, nutty flavor, and can be prepared as a porridge (like oatmeal is), cooked as a side dish similar to couscous, or aded to breads and muffins for a little crunchy texture, or even to meatloaf and burgers as a stretcher.

How to Cook Millet:
If you want a stronger flavor, start with step one. If you want a lighter flavor, rinse your grains and go to step 2.
1) Toast your millet: Heat up a DRY pot over medium heat. Add one cup of millet and stir constantly. You'll notice a nice nutty aroma, and your grains will start to dance around and pop!
2) Gently add 2 cups of boiling water or broth to your 1 cup of millet.
3) Reduce heat and cover, letting it simmer until the water is absorbed (20-25 minutes).

This makes a fluffy-textured millet. For something more porridge-like, use 3 cups of liquid in step 2 instead.

Voila! You now have millet to eat, or cook with as you please. (I used mine in veggie burgers, and had some with a little grated cheese as a side dish). It's very inexpensive, healthy, and tasty.

Go stretch those grocery dollars!