I was first introduced to millet when I did the Beachbody Ultimate Reset last year and I quickly fell in love with it! Millet is a grain and it sort of reminds me of a cross between corn and rice. It has a nutty, mildly sweet flavor and I would go so far as to say it would qualify as a “comfort” food. A lot of people associate millet with bird seed, but what you may not know is that it was also revered as one of the five sacred crops in ancient China!
Unlike other grains, millet is more alkaline than acidic which makes it easy to digest and helps balance the body’s natural tendency towards acidity (which can lead to all kinds of health problems). Millet is also high in fiber…yay!! Seriously, if you’ve never tried millet you’re totally missing out! It cooks up faster than rice and I typically recommend using chicken or vegetable stock/broth instead of water since it takes on the flavor of whatever its cooked with. You can also bake with millet…I can’t wait to try that!
This is a recipe I adapted from the new Forks Over Knives cookbook. Their recipe used tomato sauce instead of salsa and 1 TBS of sage which I didn’t have on hand, so feel free to experiment! You should be able to find miso in the Asian section of your grocery store. Nutritional yeast flakes may be a little harder to find…you will find these in the health food section. If not your best bet is a health food store or supermarket like Whole Foods or Trader Joes. The yeast flakes are optional and give the millet loaf a slight “cheesy” taste.
Millet Loaf
2.5 cups vegetable stock (or broth or water)
3/4 cup millet
1 small/medium onion diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons miso, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
Himalayan salt to taste
1/4 to 3/4 cup fresh salsa
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Add millet and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes or until the millet is tender.
3. While the millet is cooking chop the onion and garlic. Place the onion in a large saucepan and cook until soft. Add water or vegetable stock 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic, thyme, nutmeg, black pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Then add the miso, nutritional yeast, and 1/4 cup salsa and mix well. When everything is heated through add the millet, season with salt and mix well.
4. Spoon the mixture into a nonstick loaf pan and press into the pan. Top with the additional salsa and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
I typically like to serve millet loaf with a big side of steamed spinach, kale, broccoli or asparagus. Yum!!!
Amanda is a wife, toddler mom, PMAD survivor, certified nutrition and running coach, recovering perfectionist, and minimalist-in-training. Her mission in life is to help others get off the pity potty, embrace their own brand of weirdness, and get after their dreams. Proverbs 3:5-6