I recently tweeted that I had an experiment in the rice cooker that would either be a fail or be genius.
I’m going with genius.
After a ten-day vacation I found myself–on a Monday morning just a few hours before work–in desperate need of a grain dish. I spied a bag of amaranth*, unopened, but wasn’t quite sure if that was the day to try to figure out how to cook it. I also saw some red quinoa in a jar next to it. Light-bulb moment!
JL’s Quinoa-Amaranth & Lentil Salad
(PRINTABLE RECIPE)
Grain Medley makes about two cups. Salad is one large entree salad.
Ingredients
For the Grain Medley
- 1 cup, mixed, of red quinoa and amaranth (rinsed and drained)
- 1.5 cups of filtered water
- 2 pinches of iodized sea salt
- 1 t earth balance
For the Salad
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup cooked lentils
- 1 t avocado oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- Dash of sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
For the Grain Medley
- Place all ingredients in the rice cooker, using the brown rice setting (app. 40 minutes)
Pulling the Salad Together
- Mix half a cup of the cooked (and cooled) grains with the tomato and cooked lentils.
- Toss the salad with avocado oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
*Amaranth is a gluten-free grain, a great source of protein and high in iron, calcium and lysine.
I busied myself around the house getting ready for work and making a quick smoothie (1 cup soy milk, 2T uncooked rolled oats, 1t flax-seed oil and a mix of the following frozen fruits (strawberries, raspberries and pomegranate seeds) while the grain medley cooked. After they cooled, I tossed the amaranth and quinoa with the rest of the salad ingredient and a few hours later, at work, I enjoyed this tasty, nutritious lunch!
How do you use amaranth?
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Today on Stop Chasing Skinny I ask this: If you stop chasing skinny, are you giving up? I hope you’ll pop over and join the conversation!
