I always feel a little self-conscious about the amount of traveling I’ve done, which is to say I haven’t done that much. I’ve had my fair share of off-kilter trips (Alaska for Christmas! The Northwest Territories!), but never the grand ones that involve a passport. I suppose there are plenty of draw-backs to this, but there’s certainly an upside: I am extra enchanted with even the smallest things a new place has to offer. There was a lot of this during my holidays in Charleston (Grapes growing in someone’s yard?! A sideporch!)
There’s a lot of amazing food happening in Charleston too. Food like Emily talked about in the most recent episode of Alphabet Soup that updates a classic just enough to get our attention, yet keeps the comfort we crave. In that spirit, I came home from the south and cooked up some unconventional grits.
Before the holidays, Bob’s Red Mill sent me some of their new millet grits to try (PS: I loved receiving this gift, but my opinions are all my own). I am always on the look-out for more gluten-free whole grains, so I was really excited about these. I paired them with buckwheat and amaranth to make three-grain grits. I know this is the time of year when folks feel obligated to be extra-virtuous, but I’m a big fan of balance so I brought plenty of fancy butter to this whole grain party.
These cook up quick and will work for any meal. I kept these very, very simple, but they’re far from bland. I eschewed stock and didn’t season too much, so the unique flavors of each grain could shine through. This means they’re also a perfect palette for big flavors: top this with maple syrup for breakfast or serve it alongside some bitter greens for dinner.
Three-Grain Grits
Yield: serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup amaranth
- 1/8 cup millet grits
- 1/8 cup buckwheat (medium granulation)
- 2 cups water
- to taste butter
- to taste salt
Cooking Directions
- In a small stainless saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the amaranth until many kernels pop and those that don't pop toast and become a golden brown, stirring constantly. Not all the kernels will pop and you may need to adjust the heat a bit to avoid burning.
- Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the buckwheat and millet grits and reduce heat to very low.
- Simmer, stirring intermittently, until mixture thickens and grains are tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Season with salt to taste and top with butter.
Notes:
- If, like me, you’re strictly gluten-free, make sure your grains haven’t been cross-contaminated. If you’re buying Bob’s Red Mill products, look for a red gluten-free seal (see the bag of millet grits above).
- Buckwheat is sold in different granulations, which just means that it’s ground up (or not). Medium granulation works best for this recipe.
About autumn
Autumn Giles is the creator of Autumn Makes & Does and the co-host of the Alphabet Soup Podcast.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum, that looks delicious! Love that pool of yummy yellow butter…
Thanks, Julia. I know you’re not doing dairy this month. A drizzle of olive oil would be just as nice 🙂
That VT Cultured butter is awesome! I’ll have to try it with breakfast grits.
Kate, there was a really good sale on that butter at Whole Foods recently. So, obviously, I couldn’t resist.
What?? No. Shut up. SHUT UP. I have been on a huge grits kick lately, and these are amazing. You are amazing! Keep up the great work…
Ha! Thanks so much. I was so excited about these millet grits. Enjoy your grits kick 🙂
I use Bob’s Mighty Tasty hot cereal for my grits and I love it.
I also love your whole website, your recipes are quirky and have imagination which is refreshing. I am partial to cheesy grits, so I cook the grits with garlic and Old Bay, finish with a bit of butter and then fold in more cheese than one should consume. I’m planning on using your recipe to make kim chi over the weekend, can’t wait!!!