Creamy Amaranth Porridge Food

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 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 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.