cereal sauce

Let’s get right down to business today.

Why?

Because I’m slightly busy getting ready for a trip to Portland tomorrow.

For what?

To shoot Mama Pea’s second cookbook!

For how long?

A full week! 

Clothing, camera equipment, and random photography props, are currently strewn about the house.  Does anyone else like to make a to-do list with 584 things on it the day before they go out of town?

That would be me.

One thing I did today?  Made 4 new creations to share with you lovely people.

Inspired by Tom Haverfod and his hilarious food nick names.  Please tell me you watch Parks and Rec!! 

[source]

It’s been far too long since my last bowl of popped amaranth.  Surprisingly filling, and a cinch to make.  Well, once you figure out the proper heat setting for your stove, it’s a cinch.  It varies quite a bit but if your stove is hot enough the amaranth should pop within seconds.

Fluffy, crunchy, goodness.

And quite nutrient dense.

180 cals – 3g fat – 32g carbs – 4.5g fiber – 7g of protein for 1/4c [1 1/2c popped] – 21% iron

As an alternative to adding a handful of different toppings and pouring milk overtop, I’ve come up with a few cereal sauce recipes for you to enjoy.  

I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you pour this on popped amaranth or just slurp straight from the glass.

These are really quite simple and will take any bowl of cereal to the next level.

Pop 1/4c – 6T amaranth, which yields 1.5-2c popped amaranth.  Directions here.

Blueberry Banana Protein

• 3/4c blueberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1c milk
• 3T protein powder

Chocolate Cherry Chia

• 3/4c cherries
• 1T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1c milk
• 1T chia seeds

*If you refrigerate this for 5-10min after blending it will thicken substantially.

Cinnamon Banana Butter

• 1.5T almond butter
• 1/2T ground flax
• 1/2 banana
• 1c milk
• 1t cinnamon

Peanut Butter “Monster” [as coined by Angela]

• 2c raw spinach
• 1.5T peanut butter
• 1c milk
• 1t honey

1. For each recipe, blend all ingredients until smooth.

*Use frozen fruit for a thicker consistency.

Of course, you can add a crunchy topping if you like.

See you from the West coast!

Other cereal sauce recipes.

• pumpkin cream cereal
• molasses cream cereal
• strawberries + banana cream cereal

Ashley

What would Tom Haverford call “popped amaranth?” 

Pumpkin Cream Cereal

Oh weekend.

You have been so fabulous.

Today I was entertained with TV, old Friends episodes, a blanket + a pillow. 

And food.

The last scoop of pumpkin was begging to be used up.  

But how?

I was in the mood for something a little more creative than pumpkin oatmeal. 

Popped amaranth came to mind, but how could I make it pumpkiny? 

By making pumpkin spiced cream, that’s how!

I popped 1/3c raw amaranth, which produced this massive bowl of fluffy crunch.

Walnuts + banana were added.

Then a little honey for sweetness + coconut butter because it’s delicious.

And of course, the pumpkin cream.

Bursting with warmth + flavor from the spices.

Thickened from the pumpkin, and slightly sweet from the banana.

2 of my favorite worlds have just collided.

cereal + pumpkin 

Pumpkin Cream Cereal

• 1/4-1/3c raw amaranth [popped amaranth tutorial] = 1 1/2-2c popped
• 1c unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2t vanilla
• 1/3c pumpkin puree, chilled
• 2-3” banana piece
• 3/4-1t cinnamon
• 1/8-1/4t ginger
• pinch of all-spice/nutmeg
• 1.5t honey

1. Pop amaranth and place in a bowl.  *cool if the fridge/freezer if desired
2. In a blender, blend milk, pumpkin, banana, vanilla + spices until smooth.  *blend honey into mixture or drizzle on top
3. Taste + add more spices if desired.  Also feel free to add in protein powder if desired.
4. Top cereal with desired toppings + pumpkin cream.

It was nearly impossible not to chug the pumpkin cream straight from the blender.

As if pumpkin wasn’t cool enough.

Somehow, it just got cooler.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

Ashley

buckwheat + puffed amaranth cereal

I have a new breakfast obsession.  Surprised?

I’m hooked after 1 bowl. 

Have you made the popped amaranth yet??  If not, you must!  You can find amaranth in the bulk aisle of your natural food store [hopefully!] or in a Bob’s Red Mill package.  If you can’t find it there, check online.  The same goes for the 2nd main ingredient, raw buckwheat groats.  Not kasha, or toasted buckwheat, just plain old raw groats.  They’ll look a bit tan/yellowy/green in color.

I got the idea for adding soaked buckwheat to the puffed amaranth, after seeing Angela soak + blend buckwheat, to make breakfast porridge.

However, for this, I wanted to keep the buckwheat whole.  After soaking it, there is still a nice crunchy chew, that was begging to be added to a bowl of cereal.

Un-soaked groats are extremely crunchy and strangely, edible!  There aren’t many grains you can chew through raw [without at least sprouting].  However, some people can be sensitive to uncooked and/or un-soaked grains.  The soaking + rinsing process helps aid in easier digestion. 

Soak your groats overnight + rinse them thoroughly the next morning.  It’s easiest if you use a fine mesh strainer. <--- top 5 favorite kitchen tools!

Both puffed amaranth + raw buckwheat are extremely mild in flavor.  They have a slight earthiness to them, but are not sweet at all.  Sweetener is definitely not needed, if you add some delicious fruit toppings, but 1/2-1T maple syrup is always welcome. 

Puffed Amaranth + Buckwheat Cereal

• 3T raw amaranth
• 1/3c soaked + rinsed raw buckwheat groats

Toppings

• small banana
• cherries
• 1T almond butter
• cinnamon
• 1/2-1T maple syrup
• 1c unsweetened almond milk

1. Pop amaranth per instructions.
2. Let cool for a few minutes, then add 1/3 very well rinsed + soaked buckwheat groats to the bowl.
3. Add toppings.

*Soak raw buckwheat groats in a bowl, with water, covering the groats by a few inches.  Leave in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, drain the water and empty groats into a strainer.  Wash the groats thoroughly, as a slimy coating will be produced from the soaking.  You your hand to mix the groats around, while rinsing, to ensure they are slime-free.  1-2min

Breakfast is served!

This bowl was incredibly delicious.  The buckwheat groats added amazing texture to every bite.  It was hard not to go back for seconds.

Nutritional information for:

• 3T raw amaranth
• 1/3c raw buckwheat groats

Nutritional information for:

• all ingredients, including all toppings in my bowl

*I forgot to add in the 1/2T maple syrup, which adds ~7g sugar + 25 calories.

I use caloriecount.com to enter in the nutritional information of the recipes I make.  It’s not frequent that I enter in the information.  Typically, it’s when I know a recipe is extremely healthy and turns out incredibly delicious.  I like to see just how delicious, I can make healthy.  All recipes and food items have a grade rating, A, A-, B+, etc. and this recipe received an A!  Probably an A- with the maple syrup though. ;)

Latest obsession.  Divulged. 

…

Speaking of delicious, tonight’s dinner made up for last night’s sub-par grilled meal.

Mama Pea’s Yukon Gold White Bean Basil Burgers!  I’ve made these twice already, and this time made a double batch.  Veggie burgers are just so convenient.  You can eat them cold out of the fridge, thrown on a salad, wrapped in lettuce, or heated up on a bun.

Heck, this “dough” is even good raw.  I couldn’t stop eating it before I turned them into patties.

I made a few changes for ingredients I had on hand. 

• chickpeas, instead of white beans [slow cooked my beans today – delicious + cheap!]
• red potatoes, instead of yukon gold taters
• halved the basil
• added 1/2T chopped fresh rosemary [1T if doubling the recipe]
• added 1t chopped fresh thyme [2t if double the recipe]
• 1.5T oat flour, instead of 2T whole wheat flour [3T if doubling the recipe]
• 1T unsweetened almond milk – needed moisture because chickpeas are drier than white beans [2-3T if doubling]

Both the original + this version were completely delicious.  Making recipes adjustments, for what you have on hand, is easier than you think!  And if you have lovely fresh herbs growing in your backyard, by all means throw some in!

Too bad I’m out of pickles.

Can’t say the same for ketchup though!

Off to bed, before I dig into the rest of the “dough” from these burgers. 

Ashley