What is millet?
Millet is a wholegrain which contains much higher amounts of fibre and essential minerals than wheat, rice and other cereal grains. Besides being loaded with fibre, it is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates with numerous health benefits.
Millet is a nutritional powerhouse providing a healthy, gluten-free source of energy, fibre, protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium.
What are the benefits of millet?
- Rich in antioxidants
- Lowers bad cholesterol levels, thereby boosting cardiovascular health
- Regulates blood sugar levels, and thus may help prevent type II diabetes
- May help regulate blood pressure
- Promotes improved digestion and colon health
- May help prevent breast and colon cancers
- May aid weight loss as part of a healthy diet
Recipe: Millet-stuffed tomatoes
What you need:
- 6 medium-sized tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves
- 1 and 1/3 cups of millet
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
Method:
- Core each tomato and use a spoon to scoop out the pulp
- Transfer the pulp into a measuring cup as you go: you should end up with 3 cups; if not, top it off with water
- Set the tomatoes upright in an oven dish and sprinkle salt into each tomato
- Preheat the oven to 190°C
- Pour the 3 cups of tomato pulp into a sauce pan and add the garlic, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp of salt and half of the herbs (basil and parsley)
- Add the millet to the sauce pan and bring to boil
- Cover the pot and cook until the millet is tender – 25 minutes
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour the millet through a strainer to remove the liquid
- Add the remaining herbs and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese to the cooked millet
- Fill the tomatoes with the cooked millet and drizzle olive oil onto each tomato. You can also add more parmesan cheese before putting the tomatoes into the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy!
