Millet Hazelnut Pudding with Spiced Fig Compote
It’s late summer here in Italy and the northern hemisphere in general and fig season is upon us.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this time of year, late summer, is associated with the Earth element. Earth element foods are sweet and starchy, have warm tones and round shapes and help you bring the grounding benefits of the earth into your life. Millet is one of these foods along with figs, pumpkin, squash, potatoes, lentils, almonds, maple syrup and honey to name a few, as well as spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
To help you make the most of the seasons grounding energy and the abundance of late summer’s goodness, I’m sharing a spiced fig compote, with cinnamon, fresh ginger and lemon rind, which is heavenly in and of itself, but here it’s paired with a Hazelnut Millet Pudding to create a 3 in 1 nutritious and whole food breakfast, snack and dessert.
These delicious and nutritious whole food parfaits are packed with the goodness of millet and fig and spiked with ginger, hazelnut butter and cinnamon for a flavour explosion in your mouth. Nutritious and satisfying enough for breakfast, yet decadent enough for dessert and light enough for a snack. What more could you ask for?
Millet: Not just bird food
Bird food might come to mind when you think of millet, but don't let that deter you, as it has many powerful healing properties and is extremely versatile. It was once the ingredient used to make polenta in Italy, before Christopher Columbus brought corn back from his journey to America that is. After many years of neglect, the super seed is now back on the food scene with a vengeance, likely due to its inherent gluten-free qualities and the surging demand for this category of products.
Often confused for a grain, much like buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth, millet is actually a seed. It is pearly and has a delicate flavour that lends itself to savoury and sweet preparations. It makes a wonderful creamy porridge when whipped and when the seeds are toasted, it cooks up fluffy like rice. It is considered to be the most digestible of all the pseudograins and has numerous vitamins, minerals and health promting benefits.
To name just a few, millet is an excellent source of fiber, protein, some B complex vitamins such as niacin and thiamin, phosphorous, manganese and magnesium. It is thought to protect against oxidative stress and free radicals, boost the immune system, alkalinize the blood and help eliminate water retention. A powerful birdseed at that!
This millet pudding can been eaten alone or layered like a parfait with the spiced fig compote, for an extra special treat.
Millet Hazelnut Pudding with Spiced Fig Compote
Author Nissrine Boufawaz @ HolisticNiss.com
- Time 60 minutes
- Difficulty Easy
- Servings 4-6
- Diet vegan, refined sugar free, gluten free
- Category Dessert
For the Spiced Fig Compote (makes about 1 cup):
Ingredients:
- 10 ripe figs, stems removed and quartered
- 1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Barley Malt for less sweetness
- 1/2 Small lemon, zested using a fine microplane grater
- 1.5 - 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated with a fine microplane grater
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon, or to taste
Method:
- Combine all ingredients over low heat and simmer until the figs start to soften and form a liquid. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until liquid has thickened. Do not overcook, as you want the fig quarters to remain whole.
For the Hazelnut Millet Pudding (makes about 2.25 cups):
Ingredients:
- 100g (1/2 C) Uncooked Hulled Millet
- 350ml (1.5 C) Oat Milk
- 1 C Filtered Water
- 1/4 Tsp Pure Bourbon Vanilla Powder
- 2 Tbsp All Natural Hazelnut Butter (I use homemade from this recipe)
Method:
- Thoroughly rinse millet in cold water using a fine mesh strainer.
- Add millet, oat milk and water to a pot, bring to a boil. Mix in vanilla, reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, stirring often.
- Once the mixture starts to thicken, stir in hazelnut butter and mix well to incorporate.
- Continue cooking on low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth and millet has softened (25-30 minutes total), adding more liquid as needed.
- Let cool slightly, then purée/whip using a hand blender, adding more oat milk as needed to get the desired consistency. You don't need to over blend here, just purée it enough to get a creamy and somewhat smooth texture.
To Assemble the Parfait:
Alternate millet pudding and fig compote layers in a jar or glass tumbler and serve with a drizzle of hazelnut butter on top. Enjoy for breakfast, as a snack or after dinner dessert.
