Millet and Blueberry Breakfast Polenta

Millet Polenta
Millet Polenta

You know, if you have a good list of allergies, as Denise and I both do, breakfast can be one of the worst meals.  If you eat meat, bacon is usually safe, though sausage might or might not be.  Take out eggs, gluten for pancakes and waffles… well, you get the picture.  I miss going out for breakfast.  And as much as I love them, I’m actually getting bored of cereal and hash browns for breakfast.

So why not polenta?  I have eaten leftover corn polenta for breakfast (the kind that comes in a nice tube at the grocery store), and it’s great as a savory breakfast, but I started thinking of the millet polenta in Vegan with a Vengeance — that was the first polenta I ever made and the first time I’d eaten millet.  We used to buy it for the parakeets we had growing up, and I still sort of think of it as bird food.  But it’s really tasty!

This recipe easily doubles into a 9×11 pan, but for one breakfast or one person who doesn’t want to eat it for 9 days, do this in an 8×8 pan.  My favorite part is that all the work is done ahead of time, with maybe 10 minutes of work in the morning — and most of those are what some recipes call “inactive” time.  I am not a morning person.

Millet polenta with blueberries and maple syrup
Millet polenta with blueberries and maple syrup

Breakfast Polenta

Make-ahead preparation:

In a sauce pan, mix

  • 1 cup millet, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups orange juice
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 Tablespoon oil, shortening, or Earth Balance (use coconut oil if you can)
  • 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

Bring this mixture to a boil, turn it down, and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes.

In a separate small pan, heat

  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 Tablespoon orange juice
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

When the blueberries are soft, mash them with a fork or potato masher, just until you have a rough jelly.

Into a greased 8×8 pan, put half the millet mixture in the pan, smooth down, spread the blueberry mix on top, and then add the second half of millet mix and smooth it out.

Allow it to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate.

Morning preparation:

You will need

  • 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil, Earth Balance, or other oil of your choosing (just enough to coat the bottom of your skillet)
  • Maple syrup

In the morning, heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add your oil — this isn’t absolutely necessary, but it will promote a good browning, which really makes the polenta to me. Pan fry on both sides, 5-7 minutes per side.

Plate and drizzle with maple syrup.  Pour it on slowly to allow it to soak in.  Oh, and get the real stuff — you’re worth it.

What do you eat for breakfast?  Do you rely on the same standards, over and over, or do you mix it up?

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