Shrimp Patties

I love making amaranth fritters and experimenting with flavor profiles. Some of my favorite flavor profiles include:

• Rosemary, Garlic, Onion
• Basil, Garlic, Red Bell Pepper
• Carrot and Tarragon

Amaranth makes a great hot cereal too! One recipe I have gone back to quite a bit is Amaranth Hot Cereal with Seasonal Fruit 

This recipe starts with the base amaranth fritter recipe and includes shrimp, leeks, and curry powder. Enjoy this with a side of potatoes and a salad or roasted vegetables.

Base Recipe: 
1 cup amaranth
2 cups of liquid (water or low sodium broth)
Instructions: Cook until liquid is absorbed

To Make Shrimp Patties:

• 2 flax eggs
• Leek
• Shrimp
• Curry
• Oil 
• Gluten Free Flour

VARIATION: Add diced chicken or salmon OR omit added meat and enjoy as a vegan meal as amaranth is a complete protein.

Instructions:

1. Prepare 2 flax eggs
2. Sautee 1 cup of diced leeks and six large shrimp (I use cooked frozen shrimp)
3. Dice the shrimp once cooked (small pieces)
4. Add flax eggs, leeks and shrimp mixture to cooked amaranth and stir well
5. Add 2 TBSP Curry Powder and 1/2 cup gluten free flour ... mix well
6. Form into patties and satuee on each side for about 5 minutes
7. Bake in oven (350) for 30 minutes ... turn after 15 minutes

The patties turn out a bit crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. OPTION: You can eat them as finger food  if you make them as bite sized balls. 

NOTE: The beautiful ceramics can be purchased from Bruce's Creative Ceramics. All of his work is table safe. For a full selection of his hand crafted ceramics contact him at bhaggerty39@gmail.com

Pomegranate + Amaranth = Bountiful Breakfast

Hot cereal is a satisfying meal to start your day. Amaranth is a good choice to use for hot cereal as it is high in protein and will keep you satisfied for a while. Use it before a morning work-out or before heading off to school. The texture and consistency is a bit thicker than Cream-of-Wheat. Add the seasonal fresh fruit of your choice (or diced dried fruit) to the dish when serving and enjoy!

Pomegranates tend to be expensive. You may be lucky and have a friend who has a tree or find a sale in the store. The fruit is worth the splurge from time-to-time as the antioxidant health benefits are tremendous.

Q: How does one remove the seeds from the pomegranate without getting red all over the place?

A: This recipe uses the antioxidant rich pomegranate as the fruit of choice. To remove the seeds from a pomegranate without getting the red color of the liquid to stain your hands and clothes, follow a few basic steps:

First, cut the pomegranate in half from top to bottom. I suggest you put a kitchen towel over the fruit and knife so any liquid sprays into the towel.

Second, put the sliced fruit into a bowl of water. Use your fingers to remove seeds from membrane while submerged into the water. The seeds will sink and the membrane will float.

Third, remove the membrane from the water and drain the water. This will leave the pomegranate seeds to be used in your recipe.

Base Ingredients and Variations:

 

3 3 cups of liquid (I use 1 part almond milk and 2 parts water)

1 1 cup amaranth grain (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1 1 cup seasonal fruit (or diced dried fruit)

     (I used half pomegranate seeds and half banana slices)

11 1/2 cups nuts (I used slivered almonds for this recipe – look for a nut that goes with the fruit chosen)

1 1/2 tsp almond flavoring (substitute vanilla or maple – use a flavor profile that works well with the fruit you are using)

1 1 tbsp local raw honey (optional addition to top the cereal)

Instructions:

1. Amaranth grains need to be cooked with a ratio of 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of amaranth. I increased this recipe so that I would have left-overs and used 4.5 cups of liquid to 1.5 cups of amaranth grain. I started by boiling 3 cups of water in a pot then adding the amaranth. As the liquid absorbed into the grain I added 1.5 cups of almond milk .5 cups at a time and stirred to integrate the almond milk.
2.  When the liquid is almost absorbed, add the flavoring and stir. 
3. Let hot cereal rest for 5 minutes and serve or store in an airtight container for later.

Amaranth Fritters with Carrot and Tarragon

I love to make amaranth fritters using Bob’s Red Mill Amaranth. The recipe on the Amaranth package got me hooked. I made a few changes to adapt this recipe to my Gluten Free Lifestyle. Today I added carrots and tarragon to change the flavor profile.

My REGULAR CHANGES to the original recipe linked above:
• 1 Cup Amaranth
• 1/3 Cup Diced Onion
• 2-4 Cloves Minced Garlic
• 1 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth (low sodium if possible) Chicken Broth may be used if you are not trying for a vegetarian recipe as well. Water can be used as well.
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
• 1/4 Cup Diced Basil
• Oil to fry – I like to use WALNUT or Olive

***To add CARROTS and Tarragon:
Substitute Tarragon for Basil
After amaranth has cooked, use a box grater and grate 2 cups of carrots. Add to the amaranth mixture. Let cool.

Instructions:
• Place amaranth, onion, garlic, and liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Stir from time-to-time. Let cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Remove pan from the hot burner. *** see above for adding carrots and tarragon***
• Once amaranth has cooled, add egg, flour and chopped basil. Mix well.
• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a pan (use just enough oil to get an outer crust – about 4-5 tablespoons. Use a large tablespoon or serving spoon to portion out fritters. Add fritters to the pan. (Cook as if they are a meat patty) Let cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes depending on thickness. Use a spatula to flatten out to ensure center is cooking. When ready, turn to cook on other side.

KEY: Remove fritters from pan and drain on paper towels. Serve or place in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Serve:
These can be a side dish or a main dish. Serve with a vegetable or salad. Smaller fritters can be made as appetizers and served with dipping sauces.

Amazing Amaranth Fritter

Since I needed to start a gluten free diet I have been experimenting with many different grains. I have been looking to get the needed nutrients and fiber that I am missing in fortified whole wheat/whole grain breads. Bob's Red Mill is one place where I have turned to find nutritious grains to expand my meal options.

On Bob's Red Mill's Website I learned:
Amaranth is a gluten-free food and a source of complete protein—it contains all the essential amino acids, including lysine, which is lacking in most grains. High in fiber and a good source of magnesium and iron, Amaranth is a spectacular addition to your diet. This little powerhouse is perfect for gluten free and vegan diets.

With this knowledge...I wanted to find a way...multiple ways to use this grain!

I want to share with you a modification I made to the Amaranth Fritter recipe on the Bob's Red Mill package. I'll share with you other variations as well:

Ingredients:
1 shallot
3 cloves of garlic
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups AMARANTH
2 Eggs
1/2 cup rice flour and 1/2 cup oat flour OR 1 cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour or 1 cup flour if not gluten free (more flour is a denser "patty", less flour is a thinner and lighter "patty")
1/4 cup diced basil or rosemary or chives or cilantro

Directions:
Dice shallot and garlic
Add to a pot with 2 tbsp olive oil
Saute' till shallot is caramelized
Add Amaranth and stir for a minute
Add broth
Bring to a boil...then reduce to a simmer and cover
Check on pot...stir from time to time
When water is absorbed, stop cooking and let it cool.

Once cool...
Add egg, herb of choice, and flour to pot
Stir to combine
Preheat a pan with 2 TBSP olive oil...then reduce to medium
Use a large serving spoon to transfer AMARANTH mixture to the pan
Flip after the edges look tan (3-5 minutes each side)
Remove from pan (I place on a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil)
Continue cooking until all batter is used.

Serving Suggestions ... can be for BREAKFAST - LUNCH - or DINNER
BREAKFAST:
Top with peanut butter (or PB and Jelly),
Serve with eggs, sausage, or bacon
Top with fruit and honey (or syrup)
LUNCH/DINNER:
As a side dish...perhaps have as dipping sauces pesto, pasta sauce, or a sriracha/yogurt sauce
Use as your protein...place on a bed of spinach with a balsamic vinegar and oil dressing and sliced peppers (multi-colored peppers is a pretty ... and healthy ... presentation)