Millet Porridge with Warm Cherry Compote and Pumpkin Seeds

1. Rinse the millet in a sieve under cold water. Tip it into a medium saucepan and toast over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it is dry and smells nutty.
2. Add the 400ml water and the salt (careful, it will splutter), bring to the boil, then cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, put the cherries, 2 tbsp water and ¼ tsp of the cinnamon in a small pan. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cherries are soft and the juice is syrupy. Lightly crush a few cherries with a spoon and stir in the lemon juice.
4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan, until they start to pop. Tip onto a plate.
5. Stir the oat drink and the rest of the cinnamon into the millet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, stirring often and mashing the grains against the side of the pan, until thick and creamy. Add a splash more water if it gets too thick.
6. Spoon the porridge into two bowls, add the warm cherry compote alongside and scatter over the pumpkin seeds. Leftover porridge keeps in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days; loosen with a splash of water or oat drink when reheating.

A bowl gives you about 12g of protein and 8g of fibre for 381 calories, from the millet and pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are also one of the richest plant sources of magnesium and zinc.

Why millet. Millet is a small, naturally gluten-free grain with a mild, nutty flavour. Toasting it before cooking brings out that flavour, and stirring it hard at the end breaks down some of the grains so the porridge turns creamy, much like oats.

Why frozen cherries. Frozen cherries come already pitted, are available all year and need no added sugar, as they turn sweet and syrupy as they cook. Cinnamon adds warmth without sweetness.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. With 54g of carbohydrate, just inside our limit for the blood sugar tag, and protein, fat and fibre from the pumpkin seeds, millet and fruit, this is a steadier choice than a sugary cereal. Millet itself is a fairly high-GI grain, so the seeds and fruit matter here.

Free from gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soya and sesame as written; choose millet and oat drink labelled gluten-free if you need it, as both can be processed alongside wheat. For another gluten-free porridge, try the quinoa porridge with pear and cinnamon.