You are welcomed by sunny Italy and Elena, who has lived here for a long time. In whatever country our diligent hostesses are, and they always bring their love of cooking to life with wonderful dishes for their family. And this craftswoman did not confine herself only to the family circle of supporters of her skillful cooking. Elena opened her YouTube channel and cordially invites everyone who loves to cook to view her new and original recipes.
The hostess also did not pass amaranth, which can be purchased in almost every Italian grocery store. “Amaranth groats are similar to poppy seeds and have a mild nutty flavor, very good for health” – this is how Elena talks about this product before starting work on a new delicacy. If in distant Italy amaranth porridge is well appreciated, then we also need to cook it more often for ourselves and for our relatives. Next, we will talk about a recipe where porridge became the basis for a lush and tasty dessert that goes well with a cup of warm cocoa, tea, coffee or yogurt. And this pastry looks incredibly delicious!
Is the sponge cake, cake, brownie or casserole most often wheat flour based? As it turned out, this is not the case. Of course, you can experiment with semolina or cottage cheese. Elena suggests making an amaranth casserole with boiled cereals of this plant. The dish turns out to be not trivial, but nuts, berries decorate the top and inside of the casserole and make it even more useful and tasty.
Casserole (muffin) with amaranth cereal – ingredients.
- 3 fresh eggs;
- 2 cups of amaranth porridge of medium density: cooking proportions:
- or 1 cup of cereal – 3 cups of water, cook until noticeable softening;
- 100 ml of olive oil (or other vegetable oil);
- 250 grams of Greek yogurt or sour cream;
- 250 grams of wheat flour (as an option – rice or coconut, so that it is gluten-free);
- 10 timing baking powder;
- 2 pinches of salt;
- Sugar – up to 0.5 cups, whichever suits your taste;
- A handful of berries – you can take raisins (Elena uses blueberries);
- Nuts to choose from – almonds, peanuts, walnuts or others.
Even mixing the baking mass looks aesthetically pleasing
The above products must now be mixed. What to add for what – does not really matter. The main thing is that you don’t forget anything from the list. This is especially true for baking powder – after all, you must ensure that the casserole is porous and tender. The queen blogger also adds a few drops of liquid flavor to the resulting mass. Now put in a baking dish and bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C.
The baking time is 40-60 minutes, depending on the modification of the home equipment for such purposes.
Ideally, the cooked casserole should have an even brown crust, and the inside should be perfectly baked like homemade bread. The homogeneous structure is the result of carefully mixed ingredients, which promotes proper baking.
Baking with amaranth
Ready casserole with amaranth porridge
After the amaranth casserole has cooled, place it on a board and cut into equal rectangular pieces. Now serve! As you can see, homemade amaranth baking can be done by any novice pastry chef.
Recall that this dish is rich in protein and microelements, while carbohydrates are, on the contrary, a reduced amount. This cake is quite high in calories, because the dough contains, in addition to the amaranth component, eggs, vegetable oil and a fermented milk product. Therefore, it is not surprising that a few bites will be enough for many baking lovers for a complete snack. Healing dry amaranth leaves can be used as infusions for aromatic tea.
Buon appetito!
Visit Mrs. Helena’s channel – Lena Li Delicious Italy and look for an interesting home-cooked dish among her proposals. Each of the recipes is surprisingly simple to prepare!
Cakes, casseroles, pancakes or pancakes with the addition of amaranth cereals or flour are very relevant in the diet of school and preschool children. In this form, it is much easier to provide them with a healthy diet rich in nutrients. Babies quickly get bored with monotony of food – this will be confirmed by many parents. You cook porridge or soups with very valuable amaranth – it’s very good and natural. And, if you also try the original pastries from it, it turns out just as nutritious, but it looks much more attractive!
