Breakfast Amaranth With Walnuts And Honey Recipes

AMARANTH PORRIDGE WITH FRUIT AND NUTS

Steps:

• Soak the amaranth grains overnight in 2 cups water.
• Place the amaranth grains and their soaking water in a small saucepan (use 3 cups water if the grains weren't soaked overnight). Turn the heat on high and stir until it comes to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the porridge thickens, about 12 minutes. (If the grains weren't soaked, the cooking time will be about 20 minutes.) Serve the porridge in a bowl with your choice of the toppings.
• Amaranth: A Vital Grain, Rediscovered
• Amaranth, a nutty-tasting alternative to oatmeal, has more protein, fiber, and amino acids than most other grains. The tiny grains are sold in most natural food stores. The mild green and red leaves of the plant can also be prepared like spinach-look for them in Latin and Indian food stores. As more farmers return to old-fashioned crop rotation to improve soil quality and break insect and disease cycles, alternative crops like amaranth are being swapped in for wheat. Amaranth's deep taproot has been shown to improve soil quality and boost production of whatever crop is planted subsequently. Amaranth's growing role in agriculture means more of a presence on store shelves and in American cooking.
• Although it may seem exotic, Amaranth is native to nearby Central America, probably Mexico, where it was once cultivated widely. Amaranth played a crucial role in the ceremonies of Aztec religion; statues of the Aztec gods were made from amaranth mixed with blood or honey and eaten, often as part of the ritual of human sacrifice. In his mission to destroy Aztec civilization and convert Mexicans to Christianity, the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés banned the Aztecs from growing the grain on pain of death, so the amaranth fields were burned and amaranth's existence obscured in what would later become American territory. Amaranth grains and leaves, however, are still used widely in Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador, and the leaves are popular in China, Africa, and India, where the plant was transported.

AMARANTH FOR BREAKFAST

Steps:

• Cook the amaranth (this may be done the night before): Mix the water and amaranth in a saucepan and heat to boiling.
• Turn heat to low, and let simmer for 20-25 minute Most of the water should be absorbed. Take care at the end of the cooking time, because it may get too dry and burn. You should still see the individual grains of amaranth, although they will stick together a little. Overcooking will turn the amaranth to mush.
• Cooked amaranth will keep in the refrigerator overnight, if necessary.
• In the morning, reheat the amaranth in the microwave, if necessary. Drizzle the amaranth with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon, and pour the coconut milk on top.