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.

A better TacoI

I love Tacos and decided to make a bit better version at home. I could have bumped up the nutrition and health a lot more by using greek yoghurt and low fat cheese but this is what I did.

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap

Salsa:
2 tomatoes diced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
1 half a red onion finely chopped
1 lime juiced
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
a few drops of Tabasco hot sauce to taste
a pinch of salt you can also add some cumin for some smokey spice.

Guacamole:
1 Mashed Avocado
1/2 lime juiced
pinch of salt
(you can add the salsa mixture to the guacamole if you prefer a chunky guacamole)

1 whole lettuce leaf - I used Iceberg for the crunchiness but you can use Romaine if you want more nutrition.

Chicken:
1 Chicken Breast no skin
Salt
Pepper
Chipotle pepper spice

I took a skinless boneless piece of chicken and just dusted it with the salt, pepper and chipotle and sauteed it in a cast iron pan to enhance the smokiness. I cooked it whole to keep it juicy and also to cut the use of fat. I cooked it until cooked through and then let it rest for a few minutes and then sliced it on the bias to keep it tender and easy to use on the taco.

1 tbsp. Sour Cream or Greek Yoghurt.
1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese.

These are all the elements and how you are ready to assemble.

1. Toast the Tortilla until it is just soft and warm. Place it on a plate larger than the tortilla.

2. Place the lettuce on to the tortilla and try and keep it in one piece. This will prevent the tortilla from falling apart and the lettuce will be flavoured by the juices of the salsa.

3. Add the sliced chicken in a think layer on half of the tortilla or in the middle.

4. Add a spoonful of the salsa on top of the chicken.

5. Add a scoop of guacamole on top of the salsa

6. Add a spoonful of the grated cheese on top of the guacamole

7. Add a spoonful of the sour cream or yoghurt on top of it all.

Make sure you spread it all out evenly and then just fold the Tortilla in half and you have a Soft Taco. Less Fat than the usual ground beef version and it has a fresh and healthy taste.

This is great for lunch or dinner.
You could even wrap up the elements seperately and take it to work and just assembly it before you are ready to eat.

You can adjust it the way you like it and omit anything or add more of what you do like.
You can do the same thing with sliced beef or pork.

Make it your own but make it at home and skip the drive through.

I used to have friends that I would get together with for dinner and we had mexican food all the time. We would have taco nights. They moved out of town but it's nice to have a taco night once in a while.

Taco Thursday anyone?

From Seed to Table

I went to a Workshop Event called SEEDY SATURDAY last weekend. It sounds like something I wouldn't want to admit to but it was a full day of learning about planting seeds for your garden to have sustainable gardens and flowers.

The first workshop had us plant some herb and vegetable seeds. The photo above is leek seeds that were planted in an old Tim Horton's cup. Talk about sustainable. Have your coffee and then use it to plant seeds.

I don't know if I will be able to grow this leek but I will attempt to have it sprout and then I could give it to my Eco Loser family to plant in their garden. Since I live in an apartment with North facing light I am limited in what I can plant on my balcony. I believe I am limited to having just herbs. That's fine with me since I don't have much of a green thumb.

I do like the idea of having fresh herbs available by just stepping onto my balcony. Normally I buy fresh herbs at the store in bigger bunches than I need or use and then storing them in the fridge only to go back in a week and throw most of it out. I am hoping that I get to use the potted fresh herbs and not waste any of it in the process.

The Eco Losers family will be planting a full fruit and vegetable garden so I hope I get some of the excess from them.

The one thing that I know is the best thing about planting your own fruits, vegetables and herbs is that you know exactly what has gone into producing them and you can make sure there are no pesticides on them.

When I lived in a house I tried to plant various things without much success because I never had time to maintain it and didn't really know much about where to plant and when to plant etc. I have mastered keeping my Peace tree alive so I will now attempt to plant herbs that I hope to keep alive for a change. The goal is to use them in some of my favourite recipes in the summer. If I succeed you will see the results on this blog in a few months.

I hope to reap what I sow very soon.