WILD AMARANTH RECIPES
Pie crust:
1 cup white flour
1/3 cup butter or shortening
½ tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp cold water
Note: I like to make my pie crusts in a food processor. It’s quick and easy and makes a fine, flaky crust.
1. Put flour, butter and salt in a food processor.
2. Turn on medium to high, until it forms a coarse, crumbly mixture.
3. Add 1 Tbsp cold water at a time and blend until it forms into a lump. Be careful not to add too much water.
4. Roll out as for any pie crust.
Filling:
4 cups Wild Amaranth leaves, chopped
¼ onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1½ cups milk
2 cups (8 oz) Swiss cheese, grated
1. Pre-bake pie shell in oven at 450° for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.
2. Saute Wild Amaranth and onion in butter until tender (don’t overcook).
3. Add flour and salt and mix together.
4. In a separate bowl or in a blender whip together eggs and milk.
5. Add egg mixture to Wild Amaranth.
6. Spread the grated Swiss cheese over the bottom of the pie crust.
7. Pour filling over the top of the cheese.
8. Bake at 325° for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for a few minutes before cutting.
9. Serve hot or cold.
This recipe is a bit of a project to make but well worth every minute of it!
12 lasagna noodles
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
Ricotta filling:
1 15-oz tub ricotta cheese
½ cup minced parsley (I use the food processor)
2 small eggs or 1 large
Wild Amaranth Filling:
4 cups cooked Wild Amaranth (about 1 gallon fresh)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3 cups milk
½ cup minced onion
1. Cook lasagna noodles until soft in boiling water, drain and cool under cold water.
2. Blanch Wild Amaranth leaves for 5 minutes in boiling water, drain.
3. Shred the mozzarella cheese and set aside.
4. Prepare the ricotta filling in another bowl and set aside.
5. Make Wild Amaranth filling by melting butter at medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Sauté onion briefly, then add flour and stir until smooth. Add milk and salt. Stir until smooth, then add Wild Amaranth. Cook at medium heat, stirring constantly, until nice and thick.
6. Put ½ cup Wild Amaranth filling in bottom of a deep 9x13 pan, spreading evenly.
7. Put 3 lasagna noodles side by side in bottom of pan.
8. Spread 1/3 ricotta filling, then 1/3 Wild Amaranth filling, then 1/3 mozzarella cheese.
9. Repeat layers twice more, saving ½ cup mozzarella and ½ cup Wild Amaranth filling for the top.
10. Spread filling and sprinkle cheese over the top of the noodles, cover with foil and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
This recipe works well with Wild Amaranth, Nettles, or Lambsquarters.
Wild Amaranth Hamburger Helper
My husband grew up eating Hamburger Helper, so anytime I cook something that reminds him of home, he just loves it. Here’s a green, healthy version:
1 lb flat pasta noodles
1 lb hamburger
4 cups cooked Wild Amaranth (about 1 gallon fresh)
1/3 cup butter
½ cup minced onion
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3 cups milk
1. Cook pasta noodles in boiling water, strain and set aside.
2. Brown hamburger in a frying pan until well-done.
3. Saute onions in butter in a large frying pan or heavy-bottomed pot.
4. Add flour to make a thick paste, stirring until smooth.
5. Add milk and salt, and stir, cooking until it just starts to thicken.
6. Add 4 cups pre-cooked Wild Amaranth greens, and keep stirring and cooking until it forms a thick gravy.
7. Add hamburger and pasta and stir everything together.
8. Serve hot.
4 cups cooked Wild Amaranth
1 12-oz can of black olives, sliced
1 lb. feta cheese
1 bulb garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt
Tbsp olive oil
1 box filo leaves
½ -1 cup olive oil
1. Prepare Amaranth greens so that you have 4 cups cooked.
2. Mix Wild Amaranth greens with olives, feta cheese, garlic powder, salt, olive oil and chopped garlic.
This is your filling.
3. Cut filo leaves in half lengthwise. Follow directions on filo box for preparing and folding pastries properly. Put ¼ cup filling in each pastry. Use 3 sheets filo per pastry.
4. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Makes approx. 30 pastries.
Amaranth-Ricotta Pie (adapted from “Moosewood Cookbook”)
The Crust:
1 cup unbleached flour
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
2-3 Tbsp cold water
The Filling:
1 tsp butter
1 cup minced wild leeks (or onions)
3 cups Wild Amaranth greens, cooked and drained thoroughly (about 1 gallon fresh)
½ tsp salt
dash pepper
16-oz. ricotta cheese
3 beaten eggs
3 Tbsp flour
1½ cups grated sharp cheese (8 oz)
1. Prepare pie crust for 9- or 10-inch pie pan. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. Sauté leeks or onion in butter. Combine with Wild Amaranth, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl beat eggs, ricotta, and flour and ½ of the grated cheese together. Add to Wild Amaranth and mix thoroughly.
5. Spread into the unbaked pie shell.
6. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until firm to touch at center.
1 cup tomato juice
½ cup Amaranth broth or tonic infusion
1 Tbsp vinegar (use your herbal vinegar!) or lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
Mix everything together and drink! Serve hot or cold. This is quick, easy and delicious. I like to have it with breakfast to give my day a healthy start!