Hello Amaranth - where have you been?

Amaranth. Did you say Amaranth? What in the world is Amaranth?

Amaranth is a gluten free grain (or rather a seed), which I stumbled upon quite by accident. I found another health shop in Bryanston called Fruits and Roots - which is very similar to Fresh Earth.

I love these shops; I take ages perusing the shelves for something new and exciting to try and on this visit I found, yip - you guessed it, Amaranth!

I knew nothing about Amaranth - I had never even heard of it before. So, I did what any self respecting person would do and I googled it (after I bought it and took it home that is).

It is a tiny grain, which I assumed would fluff up like couscous, but it doesn't - in fact it goes sticky - so it would be perfect as a breakfast porridge. It can also be ground into flour, popped like popcorn, dry toasted, or used as a coating for fish, lamb, etc

But I decided to make an Amaranth and Roast Veggie Salad:

Ingredients:

• Half a Cup of Amaranth
• Red Onion
• Diced Pumpkin
• Baby Tomatoes
• Rocket
• Willow Creek Basil Infused Olive Oil
• Herbal Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

• Cook the amaranth with about a cup of water until it reaches a sticky consistency
• Cut the onion roughly into chunks
• Add the onion and diced pumpkin to a tinfoil lined baking tray
• Drizzled over the olive oil and sprinkle with the herbal salt and pepper
• Put into a hot oven and roast until the edges of the pumpkin go crispy
• Just before the veggies are done, throw in the baby tomatoes
• Coat the veggies in the cooked amaranth
• Tear a few rocket leaves
• Toss together and there you have it, an unusual roast veggie salad!
• Serve warm

 Have you used Amaranth before; if so, what is your favourite recipe?