Grits.....growing up, we almost NEVER ate eggs without grits....they go hand in hand. Although over the the last few years, my family has pretty much reached a complete corn boycott. Don't judge me yet....I enjoy a nice homemade bowl of popcorn about once or twice a month. The fact is, corn just doesn't digest well.And it's also the main ingredient in livestock feed these days, because of it's ability to fatten em' up quick!:(You may think,"So what? Who cares about digestion?" Well, truthfully, it has EVERYTHING to do with digestion. Your body should not have to work hard to digest anything. The harder our bodies have to work to digest what we eat, the more it causes our bodies to age. Soooooooo, as southern people, or someone who simply enjoys southern food,what can you do about grits? Well friends, the answer is.....MILLET! If you're not familiar with millet it's a gluten free grain, veeeeery similar to corn in texture and color, but has quite a bit more nutrients, including protein, iron, and B vitamins. It's a delicious and easy alternative, and best of all, it cooks, looks, and tastes just like grits. If you're a grit-lover, give this a try!
serves 4-6
3c. water
1 1/2c. whole millet (NOT MILLET FLOUR)
1-2tsp. sea salt (start with 1)
4tbls. butter
Grind the whole millet in a coffee grinder until it becomes mealy. It will resemble corn meal. Boil the water, then add millet, whisking it in to avoid lumps. Turn stove to low and let simmer. Once millet has absorbed most of the water, add the salt and butter. Then turn off the stove, and let the it sit covered for about 5-10 minutes. If you like your grits thicker, this recipe is perfect, if you like them thinner, simply reduce the amount of millet to 1c. I have also been experimenting with quinoa for grits, I will post about that after I know for sure:)
Post Update!!- I have successfully used quinoa instead of millet and it was equally as yummy. The textures are almost identical. The quinoa has a little stronger flavor, but it is well worth trying! You have to grind the granules just like the millet, until it's a fine powder with small grainy bits....just reduce the quinoa to 1c. and follow the recipe above:) Happy grit-making!
