Grain Crazy: Amaranth and Quinoa Hot Cereal and Amaranth Information

I have been having fun eating hot cereal this week. I have had it for lunch twice this week. The cool thing is it doesn't have to be for breakfast only, it could be for lunch or dinner too. Today I pulled out my amaranth which I haven't used for a while. Amaranth is loaded with lots of good nutrition. It made a wonderful cereal combined with quinoa. I loved it with cooked apples on top it added a nice flavor combination.

Ingredients: Serves 2

3 T quinoa

3 T amaranth

1 C water

1 T coconut oil

1 T honey or sweetener of choice

1/3 C milk of your choice (You can add more milk if you want less texture)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg

fruit for topping: cooked apples or your choice of fruit.

unsweetened coconut flakes (sprinkled on top)

1. Toast Quinoa and Amaranth in a saucepan for about 3-5 min. (You should smell a nice aroma.) Be careful not to let it burn. Pour in the water and let it come to a boil. Add coconut oil. Turn down the heat to low. Let simmer for about 30 min.utes with a the lid on.

2. Take off the lid. Stir in the milk and spices you desire. Cook another 3 to 5min.

3. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle on coconut, fruit and more milk if desired. You can also sprinkle on some more cinnamon.

4. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. It can make a great breakfast for when you are in a hurry.

Amaranth

Amaranth has been around for 500 years. It is a seed.

1/2 C of amaranth contains

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup

Amount Per Serving

Calories from Fat 57

Calories 365

% Daily Values*

Total Fat 6.35g

10%

Saturated Fat 1.62g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.819g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.397g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 20mg

Potassium 357mg

Total Carbohydrate 64.52g

22%

Dietary Fiber 9.1g

36%

Sugars -

Protein 14.09g

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 7%

Calcium 15%

Iron 41%

*	Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18

Nutrition Info from: fat secret.com

It is gluten free.

Ways to use Amarnth:

Amaranth can be used as a flour or popped. As a flour you can use it to thicken a sauce or for cooking/baking. It also makes a great breakfast cereal. It is a nice light flour with a slightly nutty taste.

A fun thing you can do with amaranth is pop it. You pour it into a deep pan without any oil. Just heat the pot on med. high heat. Prior to putting in the amaranth, pour a pinch into the pot. If it starts to pop it is ready. Cook about 2 to 3 T at a time. If you cook more than that at one time it will burn. 1/4 C of amaranth yields 1 C of amaranth. Popped amaranth can give bread a lighter texture. It is wonderful in cookies, breads, hot cereal, and salads.

You can sprinkle popped amaranth on a spinach salad or hot cereal... Or ? You can come up with your own ideas. Sprinkling on food is an easy way to add nutrition to your dish. :)

Some more recipes: I have used amaranth in:

http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/2013/03/amaranth-and-teff-hot-cereal.html

http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/2010/07/9-grain-bread.html

http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/2011/04/multigrain-strawberry-banana-muffins.html

http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/2011/05/buckwheat-oatmeal-and-amaranth-cereal.html

http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/2011/07/nutmeg-and-quinoa-amaranth-and.html