Amaranth and Millet Porridge - Slow Cooked

 I finally caved right about this time last year and bought an Instant Pot. I had been thinking about it for a while and came across a good deal so decided to try it. I mostly wanted it for the slow cooker, since I don't have a crock pot anymore. I thought since I was working from home, I could put ingredients in the slow cooker while I was making breakfast in the morning and have a tasty and nutritious dinner waiting for me when I was done with work. The best part would be that I'd get cozy and warm aromas of food cooking throughout the day. Unfortunately, what I've discovered is that many of the vegetarian recipes I've found for the Instant Pot are geared towards the pressure cooking component. 

It's not just taking up real estate on my counter, without earning its keep, however. I slow-cooked dried beans a handful of times. I wanted to completely do away with canned beans, but haven't reached that goal yet. I'm also working on finding the right method for cooking perfect rice. While I would prefer to cook it on the stove top, there is some benefit to doing it in the pressure cooker. I tried a couple of stew type meals from Milk Street Fast and Slow cookbook. I didn't love either. But this porridge was one I happened upon while trying to figure out how to work amaranth into my diet and also have some variety for breakfast. The recipe calls for just amaranth, but I started to add some millet into it. I think I did this to dial down on the grassy, earthy flavor of the amaranth. This is the first time I've made it this season and since we've had some below freezing temps in the mornings I thought this would be a hardy breakfast to wake up to for the next few days. 

Here's the link to the original recipe on Delicious Living. I have a hard time locating it every time I go looking for it, never using the right search words, so wanted to have easy access to it here. 

Amaranth Porridge

Amaranth and Millet Porridge

1 cup amaranth

1/2 cup millet 

3 cups oat milk (or other milk of your choice)

1 cup water

3 apples, cored and diced (I like Macoun or Macintosh)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon cardamom 

1/2 cup yellow raisins (or chopped dates of your choice)

1. Put the apples, cinnamon, cardamon, salt and raisins in the slow cooker. Stir to coat almonds.

2. Add milk, water, vanilla and stir to blend.

3. Cook on slow cooker, low setting for 6-7 hours. 

4. Stir and then serve with your favorite garnishes (walnuts, maple syrup, yogurt, etc.)

Cacio e Pepe Popcorn

 As a person who loves savory snacks, it's comforting to know that as long as I keep popcorn kernels "in the pantry" (I don't have an actual pantry, but long to live in a house with a nook lined with shelves, drawers and cabinets filled with any dry or canned good I could possibly need.) I will never be without the option to produce a large bowl of crunchy, salty goodness in a matter of minutes. I prefer cooking popcorn the old-fashioned way, on the stove, and have a large pot which is reserved for this purpose. It has unremovable oil burned to some of the sides and bottoms. My usual go-to for flavoring is olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt and Justice spice blend from Penzey's. Every so often I try something new. Recently a friend sent me a link to a cocktail she thought I might like and in the same article, I noticed this popcorn recipe. I bookmarked the cocktail for later use, headed straight to the kitchen and in less than 10 minutes was reaching for a handful of this cheesy, peppery delight. It won't replace my regular combo, but if I'm in the mood for something that packs a little more punch, this would be a great option.

Cacio e Pepe Popcorn

2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1 tablespoon olive oil (you could also use melted butter)

3/4 cup grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

salt to taste

1. In a large pot, heat canola or grapeseed oil on medium-high heat.

2. Add popcorn kernels and cover. 

3. Once the popcorn starts to pop, shake the pan about every 30 seconds to prevent the kernels from burning.

4. When the popping slows to only a couple of kernels popping, immediately remove from heat and pour popcorn into a bowl. 

5. Toss the popcorn with the olive oil to moisten it. Then sprinkle with cheese and toss. Add salt and pepper and toss until it is the desired amount.