Amaranth Bars or Salty Honey Amaranth Pops

(1st row cacao powder, 2nd row matcha)


This recipe is inspired by the Mexican candy alegría (Spanish for “joy”), which I first enjoyed during a rock climbing trip to El Potrero Chico in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in 2014. When I returned to Portland, I came up with this version. I love it so much that I’ve considered bringing it to market. Free of gluten and full of protein, fiber, and minerals, amaranth is a sustainable, ancient grain (though it’s technically a seed). This is a flexible template, with infinite variations. It’s great as a snack, on top of oatmeal, or as a dessert - it’s been a popular topping at the local frozen yogurt shop Eb & Bean.

Makes 8 3-inch x 2-inch bars

¼ cup amaranth seeds (or 1 cup popped amaranth)
¼ cup honey 
1 Tablespoon tahini 
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Pinch of flaked salt, optional
Pinch of bee pollen, optional

  1. Place a medium bowl next to the stove. 

  2. Heat a tall pot over high heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water in. Once they bead up and dance to the edge, the surface is hot enough to pop amaranth. Add 1 tablespoon of amaranth. Shield with a lid or screen but don’t cover, or it will burn. Once popped and white, transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the rest of the amaranth. You should have about 1 cup. It’s okay if not every seed pops, you can still use them.

    (The first batch may pop unevenly - like the first pancake goes to the dog. Depending on your stove and the thickness of the bottom of your pot, you may need to lift the pot up off of the burner and shake it a bit. It takes some finessing but don’t give up!)

  3. In a small saucepot, bring the honey to a gentle boil, then simmer for 2 minutes. There should be small bubbles across the surface. (Note that the longer the honey simmers, the more liquid evaporates, making the bars crunchy like sesame snap candy.) Add the tahini and simmer for about 1 more minute, swirling to fully combine.

  4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, amaranth, and pumpkin seeds. Transfer to parchment paper. For loose clusters, let cool for 5 minutes before sprinkling with flaked salt and bee pollen, if using.

  5. For bars, press into a ½-inch thick rectangle with using your fingers to start and then aa wet spatula. Sprinkle with salt and bee pollen, if using. Let harden, then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container: 1 month at room temp, 2 months in the fridge, or 6 months frozen.

*Some variations: Add cocoa powder, use a different nut or seed or a different nut/seed butter, add spice (cinnamon), matcha, fresh ginger, dried fruit, drizzle of chocolate…

Amaranth Crackers

Amaranth has a lot of character, even with just a few ingredients. It’s naturally gluten free and simple to bake into crackers, and it creates a crisp, satisfying base with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can add nuts, seeds, spices, or other ingredients for variation. Shape them small and thin for light cracker chips or make them a little thicker and bake longer if you want more structure. They’re simple to make and so irresistibly crunchy. I’ve wondered more than once whether they deserve a spot on a store shelf.

Makes 18 crackers

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, optional
1 batch cooked amaranth (see below)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Spices, dried herbs, nuts, seeds, cooked lentils, optional 

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 

  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. With a silicon, rubber or small offset spatula, evenly distribute 1 tablespoon of the olive oil onto the parchment paper. Drop 9 scant tablespoons amaranth evenly spaced and use the spatula to spread the amaranth in a very thin layer, keeping the crackers from touching. It helps to get some olive oil on the underside of the spatula to help spread the amaranth. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any spices, dried herbs, or other optional ingredients.

  3. Bake until the crackers start to lift up from the parchment paper and are golden brown, around 20-25 minutes, then flip over and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to crisp up the middles. 

  4. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Cooked Amaranth

1 cup amaranth grain

In a small pot bring the amaranth and 3 cups water or other liquid (stock, beer, juice) to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender and have a glossy sheen (somewhat gelatinous), about 25 - 30 minutes. The viscosity should be like thick cake batter. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you are cooking the amaranth and baking the crackers later, you will need to stir water into the amaranth to return it to the right consistency, since it will harden in the fridge.

 PB & Lentil Chocolate Chip Cookies

These flourless, maple-sweetened cookies are soft, packed with fiber and protein, and a little unexpected. The dough is more pourable like a batter than scoopable, but it works! Spoon it onto the baking sheet, and it’ll hold its shape. Baking time depends on the moisture in your peanut butter and lentils (see note below). Want a thicker dough? Stir in a handful of flour or oats. Almond butter or another nut/seed butter with a similar texture works too.

Makes 18 cookies

2 cups cooked brown lentils (about 3/4 cup uncooked), well drained and cooled *see note below in the lentil cooking instructions even if you know how to cook lentils!
½ cup well-stirred natural peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dark maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

  1. Heat the oven to 325. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or bake in two batches if you only have one baking sheet.

  2. Add all ingredients except for the chocolate chips to the food processor and combine until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container when necessary. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips or remove the blade and stir the chocolate chips into the food processor container for fewer dishes to wash.

  3. Place 9 heaping tablespoons of the dough evenly spaced on each baking sheet. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the underside starts to turn golden brown and the surface of the cookies don't sink when you lightly pat them with a finger.

  4. Using both hands, carefully slide the parchment paper onto the countertop to cool. Once cool, use a thin spatula like a fish spatula to remove the cookies from the parchment paper, or use your hands to gently peel them off. Store in an airtight container layered between parchment paper so they don’t stick together at room temperature for up to a week and in the freezer for 3 months.

To cook the lentils:

  1. Pour the lentils onto a white surface, like a plate, and sift through them, removing any debris. Rinse the lentils and drain, then transfer to a medium pot and add enough water to cover the lentils by 2 inches.

  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15-30 minutes, depending on type and age of lentils. *They should be tender with a little bite in the center. If the lentils are mushy, this recipe won’t work so pay attention when you are cooking them. Taste a few after 15 minutes and keep tasting until they’re texture of al dente pasta, again - mostly softened but with a little bite in the center.

  3. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water to cool, then drain again shaking away liquid. If the lentils are hot and sit in the pot or in the strainer, they’ll continue to cook from the steam, so be sure to either drain and rinse well with cold water to cool or spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet to let the air cool them down.