Best Amaranth Recipes

AMARANTH PORRIDGE

Steps:

• Combine the amaranth and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir every once in a while, as the amaranth may stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Stir in the milk, syrup or brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir vigorously until the porridge is creamy. Remove from the heat and serve.

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.

RICE PUDDING WITH GINGER, AMARANTH, AND MANGO

Steps:

• Rice pudding:
• Combine ginger, coconut milk, milk, rice, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla beans; add pods. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is al dente, 15-18 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture coats spoon, 5-8 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface. Let cool. Remove ginger and vanilla pods.
• Do ahead: Rice pudding can be made 2 days ahead; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Topping and assembly:
• Toast amaranth with chia and sesame seeds in a dry medium skillet over medium heat until they begin to pop and sesame is golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in cookies, raw sugar, and cinnamon
• Serve rice pudding topped with toasted seed mixture, mango, and a few mint leaves.

AMARANTH-WALNUT COOKIES WITH BRANDY

Steps:

• 1 Place the 4 ounces of walnuts and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the mixture looks sandy and the nuts are finely ground, about 15 seconds.
• 2 Whisk together the white whole wheat flour, amaranth flour, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the remaining sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg yolk, brandy, and vanilla and beat until well blended, about 30 seconds. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the nut mixture, then gradually add the flour mixture until it is just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until the dough is firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
• 3 Place a rack 1 notch below the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimless baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the amaranth seeds in a small bowl.
• 4 Pinch off walnut-size pieces of the firm dough and roll them between your palms into smooth 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in amaranth seeds, gently pressing to adhere if needed, and place on the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between pieces. Make an indentation with your thumb in the center of each ball, gently pressing it down about a third of its height, and then lightly press a walnut half into the center.
• 5 Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies just turn golden brown around the edges and firm up but still yield to gentle pressure, 17 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire rack to cool. The cookies will crisp as they cool.

BUCKWHEAT AND AMARANTH MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack moved to the upper third of the oven. Oil or butter muffin tins. Sift together the whole-wheat and buckwheat flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the amaranth flour.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, honey, buttermilk, canola oil and vanilla extract. Using a whisk or a spatula, stir in the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, but do not beat -- a few lumps are fine, but make sure there is no flour at the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the blackberries.
• Spoon into muffin cups, filling them to just below the top (about 4/5 full). Place in the oven, and bake 25 minutes until lightly browned and well risen.

ORANGE AMARANTH BREAD

Steps:

• Stir water, honey, and yeast together in a large bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk bread flour, whole wheat bread flour, amaranth flour, and vital wheat gluten flour together in a bowl.
• Stir orange zest, vegetable oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Gradually add flour mixture to yeast mixture to form a sturdy dough. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Lightly grease a loaf pan.
• Punch down dough, turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 5 to 6 times. Form dough into loaf and place into prepared pan. Let rise until doubled in volume, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 40 minutes.

EASY AMARANTH PANCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine amaranth flour, arrowroot, almonds, baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine water, lemon juice, oil and honey; mix well. Stir liquids into flour mixture; mix well.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

AMARANTH PANCAKES

Steps:

• Beat egg, add juice or milk, and oil.
• Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Add to egg mixture a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Heat griddle or shallow pan to medium heat and cook until golden brown on both sides. I often add extra cinnamon after I pour them in the pan.

AMARANTH PORRIDGE WITH GREEN TEA & GINGER COMPOTE

Steps:

• The night before having this for breakfast, put the dried apricots and cherries in a pan with the ginger shreds, pour in 350ml water then cover the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins then turn off the heat, add the tea bags and allow to infuse for 2 mins. Remove the bags and squeeze the excess liquid from them back into the pan. Rinse the amaranth in a sieve under a cold running tap to remove the saponins (natural compounds that leave a slightly bitter taste). Tip the amaranth into a small pan, pour in 325ml water, cover and set aside.
• The next morning, bring the pan with the amaranth to the boil, turn down the heat then cover the pan and cook for 10-15 mins until the grains are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the chia seeds.
• Stir half the yogurt into the mix to make a porridge consistency and spoon into shallow bowls. Top with the remaining yogurt. Core and slice the apple into the compote and spoon on to the porridge and scatter with the pomegranate seeds.

BREAD MACHINE AMARANTH AND ORANGE BREAD

Steps:

• Add ingredients to your bread machine in the order suggested by its manufacturer.
• Process on the bread cycle.

AMARANTH PANCAKES

Steps:

• Heat a griddle over medium heat.
• Whisk rice flour, sorghum flour, amaranth, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Stir almond milk, applesauce, and egg into flour mixture until batter is just combined.
• Spray griddle with cooking spray. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

AMARANTH, RICOTTA AND GREENS PANCAKES

Steps:

• Cook the amaranth. Combine with the stock and salt to taste in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes or longer without disturbing.
• Steam the greens above 1 inch of boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes, just until wilted. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and squeeze out excess water. Chop fine. You should have 1 cup chopped blanched chard.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium-size skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the greens, season with salt and pepper, stir together until well coated with oil, and remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, beat together the ricotta, eggs, milk and Parmesan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk into the ricotta mixture. Stir in the greens, amaranth and pepper.
• Heat a griddle or a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with olive oil or butter, enough to coat the bottom, and drop the batter in by the heaped tablespoon (or use a small ladle or a 1/4-cup measuring cup, filling it only partway). The pancakes should be 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. Cook for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned and risen, and turn over. Cook for another 3 minutes, until brown on the other side. The pancakes will be moist in the middle, but there should not be a raw flour taste. Remove from the heat and serve, or cool on a rack and heat later in a medium-low oven. Serve with a dollop of tomato sauce.

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.

ARTISAN NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH AMARANTH

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over medium heat and pour in amaranth; cook and stir until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water in a small bowl. Let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Mix remaining 2 1/2 cups water with toasted amaranth, yeast mixture, all-purpose flour, bread flour, and salt in a large plastic container with a lid with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Dust a cutting board with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. Turn the dough out onto the board and briefly knead with floured hands. Shape into a ball.
• Line a large bowl with a piece of parchment paper. Place dough in the bowl and cover with a clean dish towel; let rise until nearly doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) after dough has been rising for 45 minutes. Place a lidded Dutch oven inside after 25 minutes.
• Remove hot Dutch oven from the oven using oven mitts. Place dough carefully inside, lifting it up with the parchment paper. Cut any parchment paper that is peeking out of the Dutch oven with kitchen shears. Cover with the hot lid.
• Bake bread covered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Lift bread out of the Dutch oven with the parchment paper using oven mitts and tap the bottom; if it sounds hollow, bread is done. Let cool for at least 1 hour on a wire rack.

SORGHUM BOWL WITH BLACK BEANS, AMARANTH AND AVOCADO

Steps:

• Rinse the black beans, pick them over for stones, and place them in a bowl. Cover with 2 quarts water and soak for 4 hours or longer. Do not drain.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes, and add half the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute, and add the beans and soaking water. They should be covered by at least an inch of water, preferably 2 inches. Add more water as necessary, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and skim off any foam that rises. Add the epazote and/or half the cilantro. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Add salt to taste (2 to 3 teaspoons), the remaining garlic and remaining cilantro. Continue to simmer another hour, until the beans are quite soft and the broth is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust salt.
• While the beans are simmering, cook the sorghum. Rinse and combine with 3 cups water in a saucepan. Add salt to taste (I use 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 50 minutes, until the grains are tender. Pour off any liquid remaining in the pot (save for stocks if desired) and return the grains to the pot. Cover until ready to use.
• When the beans are ready, stir in the amaranth leaves and simmer for 10 minutes, until the leaves are tender.
• Divide the sorghum among 6 wide or deep bowls. Top with black beans and amaranth. Garnish with sliced or diced avocado and chopped cilantro. If you want some spice, add a little salsa or minced green chili. Sprinkle feta or queso blanco over the top and serve.

EINKORN AND AMARANTH SOURDOUGH BREAD REVISITED

Steps:

• Mixing, Gluten Development & Bulk Fermentation
• Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until they're well incorporated. Cover and let the dough rest 30-60 minutes.
• Laminate the dough 1-2 times. This can be done in quick succession or with a rest in between. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and let it rest about 30 minutes.
• Perform 3-4 rounds of coil folding/stretching and folding at 20-40 minute intervals.
• End the bulk fermentation when the dough is puffy and bubbly. In my oven with the light on (mid-80s), this dough fermented about 4 1/2 hours.
• Pre-shaping, Bench Rest, Shaping
• Scrape the dough out of your bowl and onto a lightly floured countertop. Preshape the dough into a ball, cover it with your bowl, and let it rest 20-60 minutes. Aim for the shorter side of that range if the dough is webby and very fermented, and longer if it seems less fermented.
• Flour the rested dough and your proofing basket. Flip the dough and shape it into an oval, round or oblong loaf. Flour the shaped dough and place in your proofing basket seam-side up.
• Final Proof
• For the final proof, aim for an expanded dough that doesn't rebound when gently poked. In the case of this dough, I left it at room temperature for about 70 minutes and then popped it into the freezer for 20 minutes. Overnight refrigeration works, too, as does room temperature only, and many combinations of warm and cold.
• Preheating & Baking
• Before the final proof is over, preheat your oven and baking vessel to 500F for 30 minutes.
• Flip your dough directly into the base of your baking vessel, or flip it onto parchment paper and then transfer the dough and parchment to the base of your vessel.
• Score the top of the dough.
• If your baking vessel is made of clay, you can paint the dough with water if you want to remove excess flour and add more steam to the process. If your baking vessel is made of cast iron, you can add an ice cube under the parchment paper.
• Cover and return the vessel to the oven.
• Bake:
• 15 minutes at 500F with the lid on. If your baking vessel is made of cast iron, add a baking sheet under your baking vessel after this stage.
• 10 minutes at 450F with the lid on.
• 5-10 minutes at 450F with the lid off.
• The internal temperature of your bread should be at least 205F when you remove it from the oven. Let the dough cool for several hours before cutting.

CREAMY CANNELLINI BEAN-AMARANTH SOUP WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Cut the root end from the leeks and slice them in half vertically, then rinse throughly to remove all grit. Slice the leeks ands saute the olive oil over medium heat in a 2 quart saucepan. When the leeks are golden and soft add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the amaranth, stock, bay leaf, and tomato puree, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• Put half of the beans into a food processor bowl. Puree until smooth. When the amaranth mixture is done, remove the ba leaf, then carefully pour the mixture into the processor and puree. Cover the top of the feed tube with a folded towel as you process, to keep hot liquid from flying out. Pour the puree back into the pan.
• Sire the remaining beans and the chopped herbs into the hot soup, and warm gently on the stove for 5 minutes or so. If desired, thin with water or more stock. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with whole grain bread.

EINKORN & AMARANTH PORRIDGE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Porridge
• In a small saucepan, bring the water and amaranth grain to a rapid boil on your smallest burner.
• Lower the heat to simmer, cover the pan, and set a timer for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, but leave the lid on for an additional 10 minutes. Your amaranth will be cooked, with minimal excess water, and not sticking to the pan.
• Bread
• Mix the flour and water until incorporated and let it sit for 1-2 hours.
• Add the leaven and salt to the dough and let it rest about 40 minutes.
• After the rest, stretch and fold the dough 4-6 times every 20-30 minutes, incorporating the amaranth porridge during the second stretch and fold. I use a wet dough scraper and my hand to pull the dough up and over on all four sides of the bowl twice around. By the fourth stretch and fold, the dough will feel quite wet. Do two more (six in total) rounds of stretching and folding if you have the time, as this will help strengthen the gluten.
• Let the dough ferment for a total of 8-12 hours (since adding the leaven), depending on room temperature. My dough fermented 10 hours at 69 F.
• Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured counter. Flour the top of the dough, then stretch it and fold it in thirds and then in half. Let it rest 15-20 minutes while you prepare your basket with rice flour and amaranth.
• Re-flour your counter, flip the dough onto the floured counter and shape it into a boule.
• Place the boule into the banneton seam-side down, cover and let it proof for 60-90 minutes, preheating the oven for 30 minutes before the proofing time is finished. My dough proofed 75 minutes at 69 F. (A different version went 60 minutes at 75 F.)
• The dough will be floppy during the transfer to your cooking vessel, but if you used rice flour, it should not stick to the basket. Score rather than relying on the seams as they have likely sealed.
• Bake:
• Covered for 20 minutes at 500 F
• Covered for 10 minutes at 450 F
• Uncovered for 10-15 minutes at 450 F
• The internal temperature should be at least 205 F.

AMARANTH TORTILLAS - GLUTEN FREE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the amaranth flour and chili powder.
• Stir in water, then evaluate the consistency.
• The dough should be soft, but not wet, and mold easily into shapes.
• The dough will easily form a ball as you stir it.
• If necessary, add a bit more flour or water to achieve the proper consistency.
• Pinch off balls of dough the size of golf balls.
• Roll them in additional flour to coat well.
• Knead each ball a bit as you pat or roll it into a flat circle that's about 1/8" thick and 5" - 6" across.
• Repeat with all dough.
• Heat a heavy nonstick frying pan or griddle. Use no oil.
• Place each tortilla in the hot pan, and cook for a few minutes on each side.
• Tortillas should become lightly brown and start to appear dry. Cool on wire racks.

PEANUT BUTTER AND AMARANTH COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine water and amaranth together in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until water is absorbed and amaranth grains are fluffy, about 20 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat cooked amaranth and peanut butter together in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar until completely dissolved. Add butter to amaranth mixture and mix; stir in egg until smooth.
• Whisk all-purpose flour, pastry flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to amaranth mixture, stirring until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.
• Form dough into small balls and place 2-inches apart on a baking sheet. Dip a fork into flour and press dough balls with fork to flatten.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.