1/4 pound of Wild, unwashed, Amaranth Greens from our property! (I/4th lb is actually a little over 1/2 bag.) Amaranth greens can be cooked the same way you would any green. Texture-wise, cooked Amaranth is similar to kale (not quite as tender as spinach), but when it comes to FLAVOR we think it’s unsurpassed!! As you’ve probably already heard, it also happens to be a legit superfood!!
(See below for some great nutritional information.)
If you don’t know how to cook greens, here’s my favorite method:
- Wash & drain (or spin) the leaves and spread out on a cloth or paper towel to dry a bit (or pat them dry)
- Heat a little oil in a pan on med-high. I use coconut oil, and like to toss in some raw sesame seeds and/or ground flax seeds to impart a hint of nuttiness. You can also add things like garlic at this stage.
- Tear the leaves into large pieces (I usually pinch off the larger stems) and toss into the pan.
- Lower the heat (low to med-low), and stir the leaves around so their well coated in oil.
- Cook until the leaves have darkened and wilted a bit, appx 1 minute.
- Add about a tbsp of water into the pan and raise the heat back to med-high, then stir constantly until most of the water has cooked off and the greens are tender.
- Salt to taste, and enjoy!!
AMARANTH GREENS NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
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The leaves and stems carry a good amount of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers.
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Fresh 100 g of leaf amaranth contains 29% DRI of iron.
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Fresh amaranth leaves are one of the richest sources of vitamin-C. 100 g of fresh leaves carry 43.3 mg or 70% of recommended daily intake of this vitamin. Amaranth has several vital antioxidant vitamins like vitamin-A (2917 IU or over 97% of daily recommended levels per 100 g) and flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene.
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Amaranth greens perhaps have the highest concentrations of vitamin-K of all the edible green-leafy vegetables. 100 g of fresh greens provides 1140 μg or 950% of daily vitamin-K requirements.
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Amaranth greens also contains ample amounts of B-complex vitamins such as folates, vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), riboflavin, thiamin (vitamin B-1), and niacin.
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Amaranth leaves carry more potassium than that of in the spinach.
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Additionally, it has higher levels of other minerals than spinach such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc.