If you love pasta, here’s a wholesome gluten-ey dish to satisfy your craving
It might sound like a stretch, but I promise that there’s something absolutely pasta-like about this combination of ingredients and flavors. All without the gluten, or any blood sugar spiking processed white flours found in gluten and gluten free pastas alike.
If you haven’t cooked with or enjoyed amaranth, this ancient grain is one of my favorites – and one of the tiniest! A staple of the Aztecs, this itty-bitty starchy seed is not very porous and doesn’t take up much water in the cooking process. You’ll notice, that unlike grains such as rice or quinoa, amaranth doesn’t plump up after cooking.
This makes it oh-so delectably chewy, producing a wonderfully sticky texture that mimics the experience of gluten rich foods like pasta. All while being completely gluten free and packed with complex starches and minerals. To get the healthiest option possible, get from Sprouted Amaranth from Sprouted Flour Co. You can find it in health food stores and some whole foods if you don’t want to pay for shipping on the website.
Read more about amaranth and get detailed cooking instructions here:
Be sure to set yourself up with a jar of Frontier Garlic Powder to garnish with before serving. Sprinkling the garlic granules directly into the serving bowl, makes for a pronounced sharp flavor that heightens the pasta-pizza-like experience!
Don’t forget to try topping the stew with lightly sweet and fragrant SPICY PEACH BASIL SALSA! Much of the produce you’ll be shopping for overlaps with this dish, so it’s very easy to pick up the couple of extra ingredients for the salsa.
If you don’t have a great stew pot, get a Le Creuset 3.5 Quart Dutch Oven. It’s simply the best. Cook, let the food cool and transfer directly to the fridge for storage. Once you invest in one of these you have it for life. The Dutch Oven and the 3.75 Quart Braiser are my favorite and most versatile pots I own.
Aubergine Amaranth Stew With Spicy Peach Basil Salsa
This tomato based eggplant stew is excellent alongside meats or fish, and decadently rich and creamy when combined with nutty amaranth. For an extra delicious meal, be sure to top with my Spicy Peach Basil Salsa!
- Prep Time: 15m
- Cook Time: 30m
- Total Time: 45m
- Serves: 4
- Yield: 3 quarts
Ingredients
Stew
- 2 tablespoons Grass-fed butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion, chopped
- 3 large Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, deseeded and minced
- 1 Sweet or Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 pound Fresh Tomatoes or 1 jar Cubed Tomatoes
- 1 pound Aubergines (Eggplant), thinly sliced
- 1 pound Summer Squash (Zucchini), 1/3" sliced
- 1/2 cup Bone Broth (optional - no need to sub with water)
- 1 teaspoon Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt
- 1 package Sprouted Amaranth from Sprouted Flour Co. amaranth
To Serve
- 1 bunch Fresh Basil, chopped
- dash Dried Garlic Granules
- 1 jar of homemade Spicy Peach Basil Salsa (recipe link in post)
- a smattering of cherry tomatoes to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Stew
- Get the amaranth on the stove first thing. If using Sprouted Flour Co. amaranth, follow the cooking directions for 1 cup of dry amaranth to 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Fluff, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Otherwise see my Basic Amaranth recipe.
- Heat a large 3+QT pot and melt the butter or heat oil. Add salt, chopped onions, jalapeño and sweet pepper. Stir, cover and cook on low heat for 7 minutes. Mince the garlic and set aside to oxygenate.
- For fresh tomatoes, remove stems and white cores, then slice in half. Add the tomato halves to the pot and press them down to loosen the meat. Bring the heat to medium. Add optional bone broth. Cover and cook for another 7 minutes until the juices have been released and tomatoes begin to come away from skins. You can pull the skins out with tongs if they're loose enough.
- If using canned tomatoes, bring tomatoes and optional bone broth to a simmer before adding the veggies.
- Chop aubergines and zucchini into roughly 1/3 inch thick slices. It's best to use a food processor for this task, so buy thin enough zucchini and eggplant (if you can find those varieties), to feed the veggies right in.
- Add the garlic and eggplant to the pot. Stir and cover. Cook about 7 minutes. Add the zucchini, stir, cover and cook for another 5 or so minutes until all veggies are tender.
Serve
- Place a spoonful of cooked amaranth into each bowl. Top with plenty of eggplant stew. Stir until thoroughly incorporated. Sprinkle with garlic granules – and a dollop of butter or olive oil if you wish. Stir again. Top with fresh basil and Spicy Peach Basil Salsa.
- I recommend storing the remaining amaranth and stew in separate glass containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. This way you can eat them individually and combine each with other foods.
