Amaranth is a funny tiny grain. It’s great to add into your diet for variety. I used it to add carbs into my chili. The chili came about when I just threw together what I could find in the cupboards. The best way to start is the night before you plan to have this meal. Soak the Amaranth and beans overnight in water and some salt. This is one of those meals that you can easily make a big batch and then have it for meals throughout the week or even freeze some of it for later.
1-2 cups of Amaranth
2 cups of beans and lentils
2 cans of peeled, diced tomatoes OR 4-6 whole tomatoes
1-2 cans or 1 large jar of tomato sauce
1 large onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. of marjoram
pinch of oregano
fresh cilantro and parsley
salt and pepper to taste
chilli pepper (optional)
Soak amaranth and beans/lentils overnight separately. In large pot or dutch oven add some coconut butter and set on med-high heat. Add chopped onions and sauté for 5-10 minutes. If you like it spicy then add a chopped jalapeño or any other pepper. Add garlic finely chopped and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to boil. Drain and rinse beans and lentils then add to pot with 2 cups of water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Check your largest beans to see if they are cooked. They should be slightly undercooked. Drain and add amaranth, cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes. If the liquid level is low add another cup of water. Check beans and amaranth if they are cooked through. This is where beans are tricky. Their cooking time can vary greatly so if they aren’t cooked through then just check them every 5 minutes. Know that they will slightly keep cooking after you turn off the heat. Once you’ve turned off the heat, chop up a bunch of fresh cilantro and stir in and then garnish the top with cilantro and parsley. For added protein, you can also add a chicken breast to this recipe or even put an egg on top!
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