Fall-time lovers unite! I know its not officially fall quite yet however, I did witness some beautiful colourful leaves falling from the trees on my run this morning which led me to throwing my hands in the air, followed by a few punches to the sky, a high kick which definitely resembled the “can-can” dance move, and of course a huge smile across my entire face… No one was around, I checked! ha! So yes today totally feels 100% amazing for SO many reasons!
Current situation… football is on (BEARS game of course!), homemade PHO soup is simmering on the stove, windows are wide open letting in the most refreshing crisp/cool breeze, I’m decked out in my “sunday-funday” comfy clothes, inside fall decor is up, chai tea with sprinkled cinnamon is in hand, fresh batch of ontario figs are in the house, pooch has been walked, AND 5mile morning run complete… Im totally convinced our prayers were answered.. thank you Mother Nature for getting yourself together and for this absolutely perfect “fall-like” day! 🙂
Last year at this time Jordan and I were prepping for our wedding which was only 5 weeks away… let’s just say I used to love making crafts….. I’m sure the feeling will come around again (one day) but it still gives me the shivers everytime I see a hot glue gun! I will say since then, I grew an entirely new appreciation for handmade crafters who do it for a living. In fact, one of my fall-time “musts” I look forward to every year is spending an entire sunday going to a handmade market (especially this one) walking around with an apple cider and checking out all of the inspiring vendors and seeing what they have to offer. Not to mention, ordering up some delicious eats from every single food truck parked on the property. Who can resist the temptation of a freshly baked, gooey, soft pumpkin spice donut?! Seriously though, words can’t express how much this season brings so much joy to my heart!
So as we all know Fall here in Ontario can be very short lived. As a result, the moment the weather starts to change this little light in my brain goes off and I immediately start to crave certain things like Porridge! Some of you may be wondering why I didn’t just say “oatmeal” and some of you probably just figured that is part of my food lingo being as I am a hardcore “foodie”…. well I have a fun fact for you! Oatmeal is actually a type of porridge, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. In other words, not all porridge is made from oats.
“Porridge” is better known as a hot cereal that can be made from a variety of grains, vegetables and even some legumes! It’s most commonly boiled in water or milk until it’s a mushy substance. Today, being at home enjoying this very “fall-like” Sunday I decided to completely switch over from my summer post-workout breakfast options (goodbye smoothie bowls, HELLO bowls of oatmeal :-). Knowing I needed to fuel up after my long morning run, I decided to start off this special day with this super delicious Creamy Millet Porridge. Having still some local peaches on hand I immediately sliced one up and drizzled on some local maple syrup. I then placed the slices on some parchment paper and roasted them in the oven. After taking them out of the oven I then went to town and ate them all up… Just kidding! Let’s just say it was a close call!!
I don’t know about you guys but I personally like to make a big batch of porridge and eat it over a few days. Making sure of course to store it in the fridge and then when you want to eat it, simply warming it up with a 1/4 cup of water or milk & a teaspoon of raw honey so that it gets that creamy + sweet texture and taste again.
Why I chose to use Millet this morning instead of my regular go-to good ol’ gluten-free rolled oats is because as I mentioned today just wasn’t any other kind of day, to me it was a special Sunday to celebrate the coming of fall and all the goodness it brings to me!
I came across a recipe a few years ago replacing millet from rice as a chilled side dish. I immediately became obsessed with how easy it was to prepare and found myself tossing it in a mild dressing with all of my favourite in season chopped vegetables on a weekly basis. Little did I know depending on the amount of liquid and the type of liquid you use when cooking millet, the result can become a creamy texture like that of porridge, or the opposite which is a fluffier texture like that of rice or quinoa. Once I discovered I could enjoy this amazing grain-like seed for breakfast I began cooking it with unsweetened coconut milk instead of water and I couldn’t believe the oatmeal/polenta like consistency it resulted to in the end.
I came to the conclusion that the end result is a mix between polenta and cream of wheat. It’s thicker than cream of wheat but creamier and softer than polenta. The flavor is light and nutty and totally devourable on its own however, breakfast just isn’t the same for me without something fruity on the side so I top millet porridge with either a ripe banana or in this case some roasted in season sweet peaches.
For those of you hearing about Millet for the very first time and wanting to have another option other than your go-to regular oatmeal I strongly suggest trying out this gluten-free + vegan recipe while enjoying all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and organic compounds millet contains. Besides its delicious taste and how easy it is to prepare and enjoy in various ways, it is a wonderful grain alternative for people who are gluten-sensitive. Diabetics and people with sensitive stomachs can also incorporate millet into there diet as it helps to maintain stable blood sugar levels and is easily digestible.
Happy “Millet” Monday! 🙂
May your week be filled with love & happiness.
XOXO Natalie
(vegan) 
(gluten-free) 
(dairy-free)
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people
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- 1/2 cup millet grits (I like to use BOB's red mill Millet Grits)
- 1.5 cups + 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut milk or any non-dairy milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 medium size ripe peaches sliced
Ingredients
Porridge
Roasted Peaches
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This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve more or to have leftovers.
sweet toppings: coconut oil/butter, nut butter, nuts, raisins, banana, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup
savory toppings: avocado, sunny side up egg, paprika, savory nut butter, nutritional yeast
Nutrition label calculated with all ingredients listed above.
