Recipe Friday: Warm Millet Cereal

Maybe it's because I've been thinking about making baby food, or maybe it's the cold weather, but for some reason, this has been sounding really good to me.  I've been too lazy (we'll call it busy) to make it.   It's kind of like a cream of wheat, but made with millet.  It's kind of a nutty flavor, and I like to add honey to my cereal to sweeten it.  (Of course!)  Here's a shocker, it's from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook by Cathe Olson! 

Warm Millet Cereal

Ingredients:
1 cup millet
pinch of sea salt
5 cups water

Directions:
Toast millet in a dry skillet, until aromatic.  Cool and grind in a coffee grinder.  Put water in a saucepan and which in millet and salt.  Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, (stirring frequently) or until mixture is thickened and millet is soft.

You can also add milk, nuts, dried fruit, butter, etc. 

In case you're interested, millet's also pretty good for you.
"A High Protein Food
Millet is a high protein grain with about 12% proteins by weight. One cup of cooked millets contains 6 grams of proteins consisting of all varieties of essential amino acids including leucine. Studies have shown that high intake of leucine can slow down muscle degradation and help you build leaner muscle mass. Millet is also a good source of tryptophan. This amino acid can raise your serotonin level and helps with stress reduction. At night, a cup of millet porridge can be used as a therapy food to help you get a better night of sleep.
A Superfood
Millet is also a superfood for cardiovascular protection. It is an excellent source of B vitamins, which can help you break down carbohydrates and fat more efficiently. Millet is especially concentrated with vitamin B6, folate and niacin. Vitamin B6 and folate can help reduce the homocysteine level in your blood, preventing cholesterol from bonding and forming deposits. Niacin can help prevent the cholesterol from getting into your blood stream, reducing your plasma cholesterol level. It can also raise the number of high density lipoproteins (HDL) in your blood, which can further protect your blood vessels from atherosclerosis and hemorrhage.
Millet is even more impressive in its mineral content. It is highly concentrated with iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese. Having a high magnesium and phosphorus diet is super conducive to your blood pressure control. Iron and copper are needed for the production of your red blood cells and can help improve your blood oxygenation.
Zinc and manganese can protect your blood vessel lining, skin and nerve cells and your digestive system from toxins and microbial pathogens. These minerals along with other phyto-antioxidants in millet can help you build a formidable defense against all types of diseases and cancers."