Move over, Quinoa.

There's a new kid in town.

Meet millet. A whole grain, non-glutinous like quinoa. I know this isn't the first time I've mentioned millet, but when I started having stomachaches after eating quinoa, I turned to millet. It takes about as long to cook as quinoa and has a mildly sweet flavor. It's perfect as a pilaf or eaten underneath a pile of sauteed veggies and beans. And like I mentioned in the post below, it makes a great binder for croquettes and bean cakes.

I found this delicious breakfast recipe in Rebecca Katz' Cancer-Fighting Kitchen cookbook. Rebecca provides clean, healthy recipes and advice for those cooking for someone going through chemotherapy. But I think most people could benefit from eating this way. I've made her gluten free almond muffins and can't wait to try her vegetarian pot pies. 

This has quickly become my favorite winter breakfast. If you're looking for an alternative to oats, this is your answer. The millet is cooked with orange juice along with water, which adds a lovely natural sweetness to the cooked grain. Cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger spice it up as the almond milk and coconut oil make it creamy. Paired with the dried fruit compote, this breakfast is rich in fiber and will give you that push you need in the morning.

Orange millet

Adapted from Katz' Cancer Fighting Kitchen
1 1/4 c water

1/4 c orange juice

1/2 c millet, rinsed

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ginger
dash of sea salt
1 T orange zest
1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 c almond milk

Add water and orange juice to a pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the millet. Stir in cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and sea salt. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Once the millet is cooked, remove from heat, and add the remaining ingredients. Makes 3-4 servings.

Dried fruit compote
1 c prunes
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c apricots
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp lemon juice

Soak prunes, raisins, apricots, cinnamon and cardamon in water overnight. Bring all the ingredients (minus the lemon) to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The liquid should be syrupy. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and toss out the cinnamon sticks. Makes about 3 cups of compote.

Top the millet with compote and enjoy. Add a dollop of plain yogurt for a nice contrast to the sweetness.

Orange-almond oat scones

Recently I was reminded of how important our dietary and lifestyle choices are. Decisions we make now, can and more than likely, will affect us later. I know I've been guilty of staying up late to finish a big project or working on the weekend just to get ahead. But as the new year is approaching, try to put yourself and your health, first. Leave work at work, use your lunch hour to catch up with an old friend and finally get to that yoga class. It's these things that make us happy which have a positive effect on our mind and body.

Over the past few weeks I've been getting up early to make scones. Some for friends, some for us and some just because. I first started with Deborah Madison's oat scone recipe, which I didn't like much, so I moved onto her ginger scones. I didn't have crystallized ginger so I used a variety of dried fruits and flavors. Out of all four batches my favorite was this orange zest, almond and raisins. I also ran out of eggs as I made this batch, so I used flax instead. Crushed flax mixed with water makes an amazing binder in baked goods. I also liked the nutty flavor it imparts to the scone as well as that extra dose of fiber.

I'm not a big sweet breakfast person, but I do like scones. They're closer kin to a biscuit than a muffin. These scones get their sweetness from just a tablespoon of sugar. If you don't have oats you could just use another 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour. And if you want these to be vegan, use coconut oil in place of the butter.

Orange-almond oat scones
3 tablespoons raisins
1/4 c orange juice or water
1 tablespoon flaxseeds, ground
3 tablespoons warm water
1/2 c oats or oat flour (will pulverize oats into flour via food processor)
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar
2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil), chilled
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 c almond milk, more for brushing

Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Soak raisins in orange juice or water for 15 minutes or until they begin to plump up. Then strain through a sieve and set aside.

Add the freshly ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp warm water to a small bowl. Stir and let sit for about 15 minutes. The mixture will become goopy which is what you want.

If using oats, toss into a food processor and blend on high until it reaches a flour-like consistency. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, sea salt and sugar. Cut in the cold butter (or coconut oil) with fingers or a pastry cutter until it resembles a very coarse meal, not fine. Those chunks of butter will allow the inside of the scone to steam so it cooks properly. Now quickly add the flax mixture (aka flax egg), orange zest, almond extract, almond milk and drained raisins. Use your hands to bring the dough together and then turn out onto a floured surface, like your countertop. Knead a few more times until the dough is together, but don't overwork it. You don't want the warmth of your hands melting the butter. Form a circle and cut into six wedges. Place wedges onto the baking sheet and brush with a little almond milk and a sprinkle of sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Enjoy with a clementine and cup of coffee or tea.

Apple juice sweetened granola

We made several batches of granola last week in class. This wasn't your regular granola. Instead of using loads of oil, butter and refined sugars we used natural sweeteners like mashed bananas, maple syrup, honey and date syrup (pureed dates soaked in hot water).

We're headed to the beach Saturday, and I decided to whip up a big batch of granola to take with us. I had some apple juice in the fridge that was begging to be used. I think it gave the granola a great crunchy texture.

You'll see the recipe calls for a nuts/seeds and dried fruit mixture. Feel free to add your favorites here. I chose a seed mixture of flax, sunflower, and sesame seeds. For my dried fruit I used raisins. Most of the time I dice up apricots and toss after the granola has cooled. Dried cherries, pineapple, golden raisins or cranberries would be tasty too. Enjoy this granola mixed with plain yogurt and fruit for breakfast or as a healthy snack or dessert.

Apple juice sweetened granola
2 c rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of sea salt
1/2 c nuts/seeds mixture
1/2 c apple juice (no added sugar)
1/4 c honey
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp tahini
1/4 c dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300. Mix the dry ingredients (oats, cinnamon, sea salt and nuts) together in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl mix together the juice, honey, almond extract and tahini. Then pour over the oats and mix well. Put a sheet of parchment or foil onto a baking sheet, and then spread your granola over this. Check the granola after 15 minutes, and mix the oats again. Bake for another 15 minutes and remove from heat. After the granola has cooled, mix in your dried fruit.