Grains - Amaranth
🌟 We’ve discussed many ancient grains that are loaded with nutritional power over these past several weeks! While there are still more consumable grains that could be discussed, we will end the series with a few tid bits about the ancient grain Amaranth.
🌾 Amaranth is a pseudocereal. It is a stately, impressive plant that can grow to be 9 feet tall.
💪🏼 It is a protein powerhouse! Another ancient grain to add to the list with being a complete protein. In fact, it contains nearly double the amount found in rice and corn. ½ cup cooked = 7 grams of protein.
🙅🏼♀️ It is a wheat free grain, making it suitable for those who do not tolerate wheat and it contains lunasin, a peptide believed to have anti-inflammatory benefits.
💥 Amaranth is loaded with micronutrients such as magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, selenium, and vitamin B6. It also is a good source of dietary fiber (oh so good for that gut health).
🫙 It is a hearty in another way too….in its whole, intact form, amaranth can be stored in the pantry for 4 months or 8 months in the freezer! Amaranth flour can be kept in the pantry for 2 months and 4 months in the freezer! A great no-waste option to keep at home!
🥣 Cooking amaranth is like that of cooking rice but has an overall shorter cooking time. Just boil one cup of grain to 2 cups of liquid for 15-20 minutes. Doing so will yield about 2 ½ cups of the grain.
Amaranth is great in porridge or polenta style recipes. It can be popped like popcorn, just like sorghum. It pairs well with squash, corn, sesame, cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate. Yum…. cook up a batch and see what the palate thinks!
🫑 Simple side dish: Amaranth with purple cabbage and peppers
1 cup uncooked amaranth grains
2 cups water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 poblano pepper (can substitute another bell pepper) cored, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ head purple cabbage, chopped into long shreds
salt and pepper to taste
To cook the amaranth, bring the water and amaranth to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, for 30-35 minutes, until soft, swollen and tender.
Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes, with the lid still on, to swell more.
Meanwhile, in a large shallow pan, gently fry the garlic and diced peppers in the oil until the vegetables are soft.
Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and put the lid on to cook for 5 more minutes.
Gently stir in the amaranth grains, reheat and serve.
Recipe adapted from The Latin American Kitchen Elisabeth Luard