Amaranth what is it?

What is Amaranth anyway?

Well it's an ancient grain that has incredible health properties.

am·a·ranth/ˈaməˌranTH/
Noun:
Any plant of the genus Amaranthus (family Amaranthaceae), typically having small green, red, or purple flowers.

This was my first attempt at making AMARANTH Porridge. I never had this growing up but I have been trying to experiment with foods I am unfamiliar with that are high in nutrition value and this is one of those things.

There is a recipe for this in Julie Daniluk's book Meals that Heal Inflammation http://www.juliedaniluk.com

My first attempt was close but I would recommend cooking the amaranth until it's lost it's grainy consistency.

It takes about 30 minutes to cook in simmering water. After it was fully cooked I added cinnamon which also has a lot of healing properties and I added agave to sweeten it and a touch of brown sugar just for the flavour. I tossed in some fresh blueberries to bump up the antioxidant boost and also for flavour and fibre.
You could add maple syrup for flavour and sweetness or even something like coconut oil or milk would be good.


This is the nutritional value breakdown of Amaranth.

Amaranth, cooked

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 429 kJ (103 kcal)
Carbohydrates 19 g
- Dietary fiber 2 g
Fat 2 g
Protein 4 g
Water 75 g
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.02 mg (2%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.02 mg (2%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.24 mg (2%)
Vitamin B6 0.1 mg (8%)
Folate (vit. B9) 22 μg (6%)
Calcium 47 mg (5%)
Iron 2.1 mg (16%)
Magnesium 65 mg (18%)
Manganese 0.9 mg (43%)
Phosphorus 148 mg (21%)
Potassium 135 mg (3%)
Zinc 0.9 mg (9%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

I am still working on my experimentation and I hope to find a balance of great nutrition and great taste. If it's healthy but it doesn't taste good you aren't going to eat it so might as well make it taste good.