This recipe is simple and takes 1 hour to prepare and cook.

Because food trends are always shifting, some materials have quietly continued to nourish humans for ages. While quinoa was recently named a modern good food, the Inca considered it notable and called it ‘chisaya mama,' meaning ‘mother of grains.' When the Aztecs grew amaranth, the Spanish thought it very important and even forbade its cultivation to them. They realized the only way to control the spirit of the people was through their food.

Right now, we're remembering what Indigenous peoples always knew: ancient grains are both nutritious and teach us how food brings people together, makes communities healthy and links us to nature.

The Sacred Seeds That Built Empires

Quinoa: A Special Grain that Originated in the Andes

At the high altitudes in Bolivia and Peru, when oxygen and temperatures change a lot from day to night, quinoa survives while other crops do not. They built their society around the advantages of breeding llamas for different uses. Since quinoa has all nine important amino acids, it offers warriors and commoners enough protein and nutrients to last through adventure and hard cold months.

Instead of calling it a nutritious food, the Inca named it “chisaya mama” because of its role in providing life. Each time quinoa was planted, the emperor would take part in the ceremony by using a golden spade to sow the first seeds as a mark of respect to his people's main food.

Amaranth: The Immortal Grain

Amaranth's tale is an example of how she fought for survival. In Aztec culture, it was “huauhtli”—a special grain that was made into effigies of their gods by blending it with honey and blood from humans. They were designed for people to eat and dismantle in ceremonies that symbolizes life, death and being born again.

Upon arrival, Spanish colonizers realized that communal eating of amaranth posed a problem to their attempts to spread Christianity. To prevent its cultivation, the law threatened to kill anyone who grew it which was close to making the grain go extinct. Still, amaranth was held alive in remote spots and small gardens, awaiting its recovery from history for centuries.

Ancestral Quinoa and Amaranth Power Bowl

This new way of cooking grains values their past and makes them suits the needs of today's kitchens. Its creation conveys the importance of survival, adjusting to new situations and the wisdom in traditional food practices among Native Americans.

Ingredients

For the Grains:

  • 1 cup tri-colored quinoa (or regular quinoa)
  • ½ cup amaranth
  • 2½ cups vegetable or bone broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

For the Roasted Vegetables:

  • 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 cup purple carrots, sliced (or regular carrots)
  • 1 red onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

For the Ancient Seed Crumble:

  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • Pinch of sea salt

For the Herb Oil:

  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Grains

  1. Keep rinsing the quinoa until the water is clear.
  2. Place quinoa, amaranth, broth, bay leaf and salt in a medium saucepan and mix well
  3. Put the water to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover it and let it simmer for 18-20 minutes
  4. Place the dish aside, then let it cool for 5 minutes before stirring each way with a fork.
  5. Remove bay leaf

Step 2: Roast the Vegetables

  1. Preheat oven to 200' (220C)
  2. Blend squash, carrots and onion with a little olive oil, some paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
  3. Put the baked apples on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top browns.

Step 3: Make the Seed Crumble

  1. Heat a skillet that does not have any oil or water in it on medium heat.
  2. Place pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in a pan over heat until they smell good after 3-4 minutes.
  3. Combine the maple syrup and salt and let cook for another 1 minute.
  4. Once it is removed from the red hot skillet, add the hemp hearts and stir well.

Step 4: Prepare the Herb Oil

  1. Hand mix all the ingredients for the herb oil until there are no lumps left.
  2. Use more or less seasoning depending on how you enjoy the taste

Step 5: Assemble the Bowl

  1. Food each bowl equally with the warm grain mix.
  2. Cover the pizzas with roasted vegetables.
  3. Add some herb oil to the salmon.
  4. Sprinkle with seed crumble
  5. Serve immediately

Why This Bowl Matters

Every morsel brings together stories from different eras. There is a faint scent of Andean winds in the flavorful quinoa. Amaranth's popping sound takes us back to Aztec rituals. The two ingredients help make a meal that appeals to our spirit's wish for peace by linking us to something remarkable.

Complete Nutrition: This dish contains complete proteins, essential fatty acids, fiber, iron, magnesium and antioxidants, showing how right our ancestors were with what they ate.

Sustainable Reason: Since both quinoa and amaranth are drought-resistant crops, they are nourishing for the soil and perfect for today's environmentally aware society.

Cultural Bridge: When we handle these foods in a respectful manner, we recognize Indigenous people and all they went through to keep their knowledge safe.

The Bigger Picture

While we race for advanced food technology, we've overlooked the fact that the most impressive crops have helped civilizations even before laboratories were around. Apart from being tasty, quinoa and amaranth help us learn to be sustainable by teaming up with nature.

Since climate change is altering what we normally grow, these strong grains show a way forward. Because they can survive tough conditions, need very little water and give excellent nourishment, they are not only popular good food and more, but important crops for Earth's future as well.

Whenever you make this bowl again, remember to thank the people who planted the seeds, the people who safeguarded them and the knowledge that spreads from seed to land to heart.