Apparently you can buy millet everywhere nowadays... no really. I'm not feeling quite so smug about my fifteen types of oatmeal now, am I?

"Thought I'd share these, because millet is a proper 'superfood' by all accounts (rich in iron, potassium and calcium and all eight essential amino acids) but goodness is it boring to eat plain. Luckily however, cooked millet grain has a moist breadcrumby consistency that makes it a really good base ingredient for burgers. And as a bonus, if you shallow-fry millet burgers they come out with a gorgeously crisp crust.

How to cook the millet first:
Wash the millet grain (about 100g will be enough for burgers for two people plus a baby, or for one of you and the baby plus a few burgers to freeze) and gently fry it in a little olive oil in a saucepan for a minute. This makes the grains crack so they absorb water better. Add chopped onion and garlic at this stage if you like. Then carefully pour on water to just over the level of the grain, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed (add more water if it's going dry before the grain is cooked and soft).

What to do with your cooked millet:
I would guess you could add pretty much anything in the way of meat, veg, seasonings... but here are two that have become favourites for us:

Millet and lamb burgers. Take about the same volume of minced lamb as you have cooked millet, and mix together with whatever herbs/spices you fancy.
You're looking for a nice squidgy texture. Shape into burgers and if possible leave them in the fridge or a cool place for half an hour - this helps the consistency. Shallow fry in olive oil (for that lovely crispy
crust) for 3-5 mins a side, or bake at 180 degrees/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes.

Millet and mushroom burgers: as a rough guide, 4 big flat field mushrooms is about right for 100g millet. Chop mushrooms very small and fry gently until they start to go nicely mushy. (A little garlic is a good addition here.) Then mix into the cooked millet, season to taste, make into burgers and cook as above."