As you may know, we’re all about food prepping and meal planning. It all sounds more advanced than what it is, so trust us when we say, there’s no need to feel intimidated. One of the easiest ways to squeeze in some food prepping is to simply cook up a little extra of something, say quinoa, the next time you already are and use those extra portions throughout the following days.

This is a porridge that we like to put together when we have some cooked amaranth hanging around (amaranth does take awhile to boil so it’s a time saver this way).

Once you have the cooked amaranth then it’s just to warm it up with half as much almond milk as cooked amaranth and it’s basically done!

For that little something extra we recommend to top the porridge with a swirl of sweet date caramel, and some gingered pears. But on busy days it’s just as delightful to top it off with something less time consuming like fresh or frozen berries or some crispy seeds – things you can typically find all year round!

Amaranth Porridge with Date Caramel and Gingered Pears
(2 servings)

1 ½ cup cooked whole amaranth
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
½  teaspoon ground cardamom
a pinch of sea salt

Gingered pears:
1 pear, diced
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Date caramel:
5 fresh dates, pitted
¼ cup of water or almond milk
pinch of sea salt

Topping:
¼ cup blackberries
even some sprouts or shoots if you’re feeling adventurous

Heat the cooked amaranth together with almond milk, cardamom and salt. Let simmer for 1 minute until you get a smooth and creamy porridge.

Add the diced pear to a separate pan along with the water and ginger. Cook on medium heat until the pear is slightly golden, softened and the water is mostly evaporated. Using a hand mixer – mix the dates, water and salt to a smooth caramel texture. Divide the amaranth in two bowls and swirl in a spoonful of the date caramel (the rest can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks). Top the porridge with the pears and some blackberries, we can even recommend a few sprouts or shoots.

Tip!
Don’t have cooked amaranth around? Of course you could just make the porridge completely from scratch, just pick up some whole amaranth and follow the instructions on the package, but replace the water for boiling with any plant-based drink (i.e., almond or oat milk). ¾ cup of uncooked amaranth becomes two porridge portions.

This is a guest post. The opinions expressed are the writer’s own.