You may have heard of millet. But what you probably don’t know is its many uses. You can cook and bake with it, make beer with it, and our use for it – stuffing our floor cushions and eye pillows. It is gluten-free, easy to grow, and drought intolerant, making it an extremely sustainable and renewable resource. Over half of the country’s millet is grown right here in Colorado.

We discovered the magic of millet when looking into stuffing our zafu’s. We looked into foam, flax, and many others. But nothing hit the mark for comfort, sustainability, and being locally sourced. Until we found millet. 

How we use Millet:

 Millet has been a cornerstone of our products since we made our first zafus in 2019. It gives our zafus their signature “weighty” feeling (which we love!). We have replaced flax seed for millet in our popular lavender and peppermint orange eye pillows as well. Our favorite thing about using buckwheat hulls and millet in our floor cushions is rather than collapsing beneath you (like cotton or a polyfill) the hulls rise up to support you and conform to your body.

We proudly support Golden Prairie Farm in Nunn, Colorado – a mere 30 minutes from our hometown of Fort Collins, CO.

Why use millet?

It’s Colorado grown, organic, sustainable, and reduces our carbon footprint for the products we produce. It is a great crop to grow in Colorado because it is a rotational crop, regenerates the soil, and is harvested in the Spring.

Here are some of our favorite things about this magical grain: 

1. Millet is considered an ancient grain which means the seeds have been around for over 1,000 years
2. It has a very small carbon footprint
3. Millet is non-GMO
4. Everyone can enjoy millet as a staple in a nutritious diet
5. It has a delicious, nutty flavor
6. It offers the perfect companion to buckwheat hulls in our products to give you the support you need

Source: https://goldenprairie.com/faqs

Wellness and healthy, balanced diets have become more popular over the years, leading to an increased interest in millet. It is naturally gluten-free, easily digestible, high in fiber and magnesium, and is a great source of protein. Look for it to become the next big “superfood”. Here we list some of our favorite recipes using this powerhouse ingredient.

MILLET RECIPES:

Millet Cakes with Carrots & Spinach via Love & Lemons

Recipe from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Serves: 12 cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup millet, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 6 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• ¼ cup plain yogurt (vegan version: ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon almond milk)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten (vegan version: ¼ cup ground flaxseed)
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• any sauce or chutney you like - I topped mine with greek yogurt, mixed with salt, pepper, chile flakes, and a squeeze of lime, or use this recipe and make a similar vegan version.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the millet, water, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed – 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, let millet sit, covered, for 10 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and carrots and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, curry powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with millet.
4. Add the yogurt, egg, (or flax + almond milk), and cilantro into the millet mixture and fold until well combined. Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture, then form into a ½-inch-thick cake, and place on the prepared sheet. Repeat. Refrigerate cakes until chilled and firm, about 30 minutes. (15 minutes for the vegan version).
5. Drizzle the cakes with olive oil and bake 25-30 minutes or until the edges are crispy and cakes are cooked through.

Try these other millet recipes:

• https://bakingthegoods.com/2020/02/05/seedy-almond-oat-bars/
• https://www.beautybites.org/vegetable-fried-millet/
• https://www.runningtothekitchen.com/creamy-millet-porridge/
• https://everydaynourishingfoods.com/how-to-cook-fluffy-millets/

You can also find millet in grocery stores in some of your favorite things. Like these Tots from Rollin Greens.

Now that you know the magic of millet, we invite you to incorporate this power grain into your life. Whether that be in your food, zenning out on one of our floor cushions, or taking a much-needed power nap with our eye pillows.

**Photo credit: I am Caitlin Rose Photography