Cooking With Grains: Amaranth. For pre-Colombian Aztecs, amaranth was not only a dietary staple, but an important aspect of religious rituals, as the women would shape a mixture of amaranth seeds with honey and even human blood into idols to be eaten ceremoniously.
Today, amaranth is often popped like popcorn and mixed with honey, molasses or chocolate to make a popular treat in Mexico called "alegría" (meaning "joy"). Although amaranth derives its name from the Greek for "never-fading flower," it is its highly nutritious seeds (and greens, though they are hard to find), not its vibrant red blooms, that are its most valuable asset. Like buckwheat and quinoa, amaranth is an especially high-quality source of plant protein including two essential amino acids, lysine and methionine, which are generally low in grains. Amaranth is packed with iron and calcium, and its fiber content is triple that of wheat. How to Cook Millet. Updated on 3/30/2005 Rosie Daley, co-author of my book The Healthy Kitchen, is a big fan of millet, an African grain and a staple of the North African diet.
It is also widely consumed in China and India, where it is used to make flatbreads. Curried Lentils in Tomato Sauce. Portobello and Zucchini Tacos. Vegetable Enchiladas. Layered Eggplant and Polenta Casserole. Stuffed Poblanos.