Amaranth: The Super Grain

I am so excited to share this guest blog post from one of my all-star interns, Raquel Squires! Raquel graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition, and a minor in English. She loves to experiment with new foods and whips up many tasty concoctions on a regular basis. In this post, Raquel introduces us to a super trendy whole grain and a really cool way to whip up a batch.

With a history as rich as its nutrition content, it’s no wonder amaranth is a super grain. A broad-leafed plant that can grow up to six feet tall, there are over 60 known species of amaranth. This trendy whole-grain dates back to the time of the Ancient Aztecs, where it was used for various religious ceremonies and celebrations.  Today, the popularity of this protein powerhouse has soared, thanks to its gluten-free and nutrient rich profile.

Amaranth gets its name from the Greek word amarantos, meaning “the never-fading.” It flourishes in the summer and autumn months, and is a terrific source of vitamins and minerals. In fact, just one cup of cooked amaranth provides over 20% of your daily need of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium—talk about being nature’s multivitamin!  Amaranth is also unique because it contains an essential amino acid, lysine, that the body cannot manufacture on its own.  In fact, amaranth easily trumps the protein content of most other grains, helping us to feel fuller for longer.

Clearly, when it comes to nutrition, amaranth is a winner. Still, being a foodie, it had to pass the ultimate test, taste. After picking up amaranth from my local Whole Foods, I did some recipe research to see the typical ways the grain is used. I discovered that it’s mostly used in salads, soups, porridges, or served popped.

Having no idea that it was possible to “pop” amaranth, this definitely piqued my interest, so that’s what I decided to experiment with. Time to have some fun with this all-star whole grain!

How to pop amaranth:

I don’t believe there is an exact science to popping amaranth, but I do know two things from my recent experience: a little bit goes a long way, and although small in size, amaranth certainly gets a lot of height when popped.

Heat an ungreased frying pan over medium heat. Be sure that the pan is hot enough for a water droplet to disintegrate when dropped. Take a pinch of amaranth and toss into the hot frying pan. You should see the amaranth immediately start to pop. After a minute or so, empty the contents of the frying pan into a clean dish and repeat the process. Unfortunately, there is no way that all of the grains will pop without burning the already popped amaranth. It’s tasty though, because it adds some extra crunch. Your finished result should look something like this (nothing like popcorn but still delicious!):

Popped Amaranth Peach Plum Parfait: When popped, amaranth has a nutty, crunchy flavor. So I took advantage incorporated into this yummy parfait.

Ingredients:

                       

1/4 cup amaranth, uncooked

1 cup plain yogurt

2 teaspoons amber agave nectar or honey

1 peach, cut into 1/4” half-moon slices (or seasonal fruit of choice)

1 plum, cut into ¼” half-moon slices (or seasonal fruit of choice)

Yield: 2 servings

Divide peach and plum slices evenly, and use to assemble two parfaits. In addition to the peach and plum slices, each parfait will get: 1/2 cup of the yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the popped amaranth, and 1 teaspoon of the amber agave nectar, Layer the parfait ingredients in desired order.

*Note:  Be sure to consume parfait immediately after assembly. If sitting out too long, popped amaranth will get soggy when layered on top of the yogurt.

Drum roll please... and amaranth officially passes the ultimate taste test! Give it a try and let me know what you think.