I got these great big beautiful red "greens" on Sunday at the Carroll Gardens farmers market, which was exciting because I have only had amaranth as a grain, and have never tried the leaves. They are not for eating raw. Very bitter and puckery. I was told to treat it like spinach, but I was a little scared off by how intense the raw flavor was.
So I treated it to a nice bath of heavy cream (actually half and half from Milk Thistle) a sprinkle of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, and I baked it like a gratin for about half an hour at 375.
It was delicious. Super delicious. Its nutty, earthy flavors made it a lot more complex than spinach would have been. Besides, I doubt spinach would have held up to such long baking. The amaranth was still sturdy, not overly wilted or limp at all. I detected some artichoke flavors in there, too, and I think next time I cook amaranth leaves, I'll use less animal fat, so that the flavors of the amaranth can really shine. My nervousness was unfounded, and these red/greens are a delight. 
Red Amaranth
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this looks very interesting. I'm looking to make dishes with slightly less cream. How much do you use. I use 1/2 stick of butter usually for cooking meals for the week for my clients. I shy away from cream - because all my clients are looking to lose weight. I do zone based cooking...and wondering if you've had any experience with heavy cream use and weight loss...and what your thoughts were? I love this recipe though and I will try it.
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