Amaranth: Spicing Up Your Breakfast The Aztec Way!

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You may recall my breakfast confession from a few months ago. You remember, right? How I used to eat anything BUT breakfast food for breakfast? Seriously, when I was in elementary school a bowl of spaghetti or some leftover meatloaf would do just fine in my book. Gross, I know.

Though I've graduated from leftover meatloaf, I still feel like something's missing in the breakfast arena. You've got your eggs, your granola, your toast... maybe even your healthy smoothie if you're feeling spunky... but all these choices still leave me feeling like something's missing. This past weekend I decided it was high time to try something new... something old school yet little known... a little something I like to call amaranth.

Excited? Ok, good. Here we go! Let's talk about amaranth.

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Amaranth is usually grouped into the 'grain' category, although it's not really a grain. It's actually the seed of a flowering herb. Amaranth has been around for a long, long time. It was a dietary staple of the Aztecs. At one point in time, it represented almost 80% of their daily caloric consumption! To this day, amaranth is generally grown in Mexico, Peru and Guatamala, although many Asian countries now grow it as well. You can find it in your local health food store or natural grocery store (think 'Whole Foods')!

And great news for a few of my sensitive friends out there, amaranth is GLUTEN-FREE! Happy stomachs everywhere!

(Insert happy stomach dance here)

Amaranth is a very concentrated source of nutrition. Let me explain why amaranth is so great...

HIGH IN PROTEIN - Just 1 cup of amaranth equals about 28 grams of protein. If you remember from my previous posts, the average person needs approximately 50 grams daily. That's almost half your daily requirement! What's even better is that you're getting the plant-based protein without the fat! Perfect combo! 

CHOCK FULL OF CALCIUM - I don't want to burst your dairy bubble, but amaranth is a better source of calcium than milk. Because amaranth also contains magnesium and silicon, which aid in calcium absorption, you are better able to use the calcium in amaranth.

GLUTEN-FREE GOODNESS - I know I said it before, but I'll say it again... if you're gluten-free, amaranth is a fantastic 'grain' source because it contains more iron and fiber than other GF grains.

HEART HEALTH - Studies have shown that amaranth consumption lowers cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, keeping your heart healthy and strong.

This weekend I wanted to experiment with amaranth. As many of you know, I'm in the midst of becoming a Certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. As part of this week's material, we were encouraged to try cooking with something we'd never used before. That's where amaranth comes in. 

Nothing like a warm amaranth porridge to get the day started right.

For 2 servings, soak 1 cup amaranth in a bowl of water overnight for 8-12 hours (amaranth is most nutritious and digestible if it's soaked prior to cooking).

When you're ready to cook the next morning, bring 3 cups of fresh water to a boil. Meanwhile, pour the amaranth through a strainer (just make sure your strainer's holes are tiny enough to capture the amaranth, which is fairly small, even after soaking). Discard the leftover water and pour the amaranth into the boiling water. Add 1/2 tsp. of sea salt.

Reduce to a low simmer for 30 minutes and cover, stirring periodically. At the 20 minute mark, grab your healthy ingredients
and get busy doctoring your porridge. 

Throw in 1/2 cup of dried goji berries (a fantastic superfood).

Stir in 1/4 cup of milk (or a milk substitute like hemp milk in this case)... if it's not creamy enough for your liking,
don't be afraid to add more.

Add 2 Tbs. of honey...

Add 1/2 cup of currants, raisins or cranberries, whichever you prefer.

Top with raw pine nuts or any other nut that you're digging on (pecans, walnuts or
slivered almonds would work well too).

Grab a cup of hot tea and you've got yourself one impressive, immune-building breakfast!

A Lesson On Lentils: Taste The Rainbow

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Skittles may have coined the phrase 'taste the rainbow', but I'm pretty sure we could apply this catchy little phrase to lentils. Just look at all those colors! Confession time: I'm practically a lentil virgin. Sure, I've had them in soups, but that's where my experience comes to a screeching halt! I don't know how to cook them, I don't really know what they taste like solo and I'm fairly certain my inability to make decisions would be put to the test when given the option to buy any color under the rainbow. The paralysis of analysis... story of my life.

This past weekend, I decided that enough was enough... I can't have a nutrition blog and totally act like lentils don't exist! It was time for a little trip down to Trader Joe's so that I could further acquaint myself with these colorful legumes. It was time to take our relationship to the next level. 

Here's why I gave lentils a second look...

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HIGH FIBER CONTENT - Just 1 cup of cooked lentils contains about 15 grams of fiber, more than half of your daily requirement. Because lentils are comprised of soluble AND insoluble fiber, all your bases are covered. If you're not making a trip to the bathroom after eating some, then you're just a tricky case and I can't help you.

PACKED WITH PLANT-BASED PROTEIN - That same cup of lentils contains almost 17 grams of protein, making lentils a great choice for those of you who don't eat meat. Even if you DO eat meat, plant-based protein is much better for you than animal protein because you're eliminating the extra fat and calories that come with meat.

LOW IN FAT AND CALORIES - Chances are, you'll fill full when you incorporate lentils into your meal, and in one cup, you'll only consume about 220 calories and less than 1 gram of fat (including no saturated fat). With those kind of stats, you might as well go back for seconds!

FANTASTIC FUEL SOURCE - The complex carbs in lentils provide the body with lots of energy without causing your blood sugar to spike. Energy is released slowly... and that's how we like it, folks!

CHOCK FULL OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS - If I were to list them out, my list would be a mile long so I'll keep it snappy. Lentils are specifically rich in folate, which helps in cell production and maintenance. Studies have also suggested that folate can help prevent changes to DNA that could eventually lead to cancer. Just one cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of your daily requirement of folate. In addition to folate, lentils also assist in replenishing your iron levels, making this a great choice for women who are pregnant, lactating or 'on the rag' (sorry, boys...gross, I know).

For my weekend experiment with lentils, I recruited my friend Marissa and attempted to make a recipe from SproutedKitchen.com (love, love, love this blog!) for Lentil "Meatballs" in Lemon Pesto. We might have been a bit out of our league trying this particular recipe, especially since the food processor decided to die as we began. Thankfully, Marissa was able to take over and pulverize the lentils and pine nuts by hand! Good job, M!   ...She must workout.

When we were done, the kitchen looked like a level 5 disaster area, but the lentil meatballs were so tasty and complimented our girl's night movie choice 'Cruel Intentions' perfectly. Yes, in case you were wondering... lentils go perfectly with a side of Ryan Phillippe.

A Lonely Legume: Eat Yo' Peas, Please!

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I can only speak for myself here, but I grew up hating peas, or English peas as we called them. I really despised those buggers. Their presence on my plate told me two things... 1) my mother loved me enough to feed me vegetables, but 2) she clearly wanted to ruin my life. They tasted like dirty swamp water.

I pushed those peas around my plate with gusto, hoping against hope that they would suddenly vanish from my plate or maybe just give the impression that I ate a few. If my parents had allowed our dog Hank into the kitchen during dinnertime, I would've definitely flung him a few. Hate is a strong word, but it is the only word appropriate for my feeling towards those little green globes of swamp water.

So you can imagine my surprise when I decided to give green peas another try, and I actually LIKED THEM this time! Then, when I started reading up on their nutritional benefits, I liked them even more. I can only compare the feeling to that of seeing the biggest dork in high school at your reunion and finding out he's magically transformed into a Brad Pitt look-alike. Pleasant surprise mixed with the thought of 'what have I missed out on?!?'.

Green peas (also called sweet peas or English peas) are one of the most nutritious legumes, yet they seem to be largely ignored (probably because we all hated them as children). They are believed to have originated in the Sub-Himalayan plains of northwest India and have been traced back thousands of years (we're talking BC, not A.D.).


Here's why you should give them another try...

HEART HELPERS - Green peas are packed with omega-3's and antioxidants.

CANCER FIGHTERS - The phytonutrients in green peas act as health protectors, fighting cancer-causing free radicals in the body.

BLOOD SUGAR REGULATORS - The high dietary fiber and protein content of green peas can help regulate your blood sugar and lower your risk for type 2 diabetes (1 cup of raw peas provides 30.3% and 14.7% of your daily values respectively, based on a 2000 calorie diet)

FATIGUE FIGHTERS - Green peas provide a significant, non-animal source of iron, a nutrient that fights fatigue, helps in proper blood cell formation and carries oxygen throughout the body.

FAT BLASTERS - One cup of raw peas has only 1/3 gram of fat and 115 calories.

EYESIGHT ENABLERS - The lutein found in peas helps to reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

VITAMIN PROVIDERS - One cup provides 44.6% of your DV of vitamin K (for bone building) and 32.5% of vitamin C (for immune support).


When buying fresh peas in the pod, look for pods that are smooth and consistent in color. I really like buying them fresh because you get to shell them. It's really easy and can be really cathartic... the kind of therapy you don't have to pay the big bucks for!

To ease myself back into the pea game, I tried this recipe from SmittenKitchen.com (but I added shrimp because I felt like it, ok?). I've attached simple step-by-step instructions and pictures for your viewing pleasure. It was incredibly flavorful and sooooo good that I hardly noticed my pesto was made from peas!  
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/06/linguine-with-pea-pesto/

To prep, toast the pine nuts in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, watching them closely to prevent them
from burning. Pine nuts can be expensive (like $30 per lb.), so you can always
substitute them with raw cashews or almonds.

Shell your fresh peas. This part should be fun! Get the kids involved! 

Peel and devein the shrimp.

Bring the water to a boil and cook the linguine until al dente (when draining, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water for later). You can use whole wheat pasta if you want to make it extra nutritious!

In a small saucepan, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Add the green peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the peas,
then transfer them to an ice bath for a minute and drain again.

In a food processor, add the peas (setting 1/2 cup aside for later), pine nuts, garlic and salt. Now add the parmesan cheese... and blend for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides if necessary.

While it's mixing, drizzle in a bit of olive oil.

While your sous chef is busy manning the food processor, saute your shrimp in a little olive oil and garlic.

Add the cooked pasta and pea mixture to the pan of cooked shrimp. 

Add in the extra peas you saved and as much of the reserved pasta water as you need
to make the pesto mixture combine more easily. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve it up while it's hot and chow down! Nom nom nom!

Here are a few more pea recipes to get your wheels turning...

MINTED PEAS & RICE WITH FETA:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/minted_peas_rice_with_feta.html

Image courtesy of eatingwell.com

GREEN PEA SOUP:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/29519-green-pea-soup

Image courtesy of chow.com

My grandmother calls me 'sweet pea'. I guess my love for them was meant to be.

Kale: No Longer the 'Jan Brady' of the Cabbage Family

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My brother's name is Cale, dangerously close to the spelling of our vegetable of the day. As a child, this made me giggle. My brother was named after a vegetable. WHAT in the world were my parents thinking? He would clearly be scarred when the little kids at school put two and two together.

If only the little kids had known how cool kale really is!

Kale has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. It was a staple of the Greek and Roman diets. Just recently, it came into the spotlight because of its 'superfood' status. It's also relatively inexpensive and easy to work into your meals.

Here's why you should jump on the 'kale train' ASAP. Kale is...

• A great source of vitamin C (which boosts your immune system), vitamin K (for bone health) and vitamin A (for healthy mucus membranes, skin and eyes).
• High in fiber.
• Full of health promoting phytochemicals that protect against prostate and colon cancers.
• Rich in iron (which helps protect you from anemia).
• Rich in carotenoids (strong antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties).
• Extremely low in calories and contains no fat.

I'm a huge fan of kale chips. Here's what you do...

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly wash the kale and pat dry.

Tear the each leaf in half, discarding the stem. Then tear each half into 'chip size' pieces.

Drizzle the pieces with a light coat of olive oil...

...Then toss to coat evenly.

Place your chips on a non-stick baking pan, making sure they are evenly spaced (this is key!).

Now, bake the chips for 20 minutes total, flipping the chips halfway through so that both sides bake evenly. Allow to cool and enjoy! Oh...and eat as many as you want! They're good for you!

Here are some other great recipes to get you started...

PASTA WITH BLACK KALE, CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND PARSNIPS:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-black-kale-caramelized-onions-parsnips-10000002012801/

Image courtesy of myrecipes.com

KALE WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND OLIVES:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/kale-roasted-peppers-olives-10000000524082/index.html

Image courtesy of realsimple.com

KALE, APPLE AND PANCETTA SALAD:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/serious-salads-kale-apple-and-pancetta-salad.html

Image courtesy of seriouseats.com