Like quinoa, amaranth is an ancient, protein-packed seed. The tiny poppy seed-size “grain” was a staple of the Aztecs and Mayans. We must admit that we initially weren’t quite sure about amaranth, though. The first time we cooked it for dinner, we expected it to be fluffy like quinoa and were startled when it turned to sticky mush! However, we did like the malty, slightly nutty flavor and were determined to figure out what to do with it.