Alegria (a.k.a. Amaranth Bars)

I was in Germany during the E. coli outbreak, which meant that as a vegan who was not eating raw vegetables, I subsisted largely on potatoes and white asparagus. They are both wonderful in moderation, but I was looking for something to supplement my diet. I stumbled upon amaranth bars. I am sure that I have had amaranth before, but I had never noticed it, and it had never been the main ingredient in anything I ate. It's wonderful! It's a high-protein grain that has a subtle nutty flavor to it.

R informs me that amaranth (amaranto) is very popular in Mexico. They eat bars from it as a kind of quick snack. Those bars are called alegria. That seems to me to be quite an appropriate name.

Here is a recipe for alegria. R tells me that it's got a few more goodies in it than regular alegria, but I couldn't help myself. Here it goes:

1/2 c. amaranth
1/2 c. agave
1/2 c. almonds
1/2 c. figs
1 tsp. vanilla

Pop the amaranth. Do this by putting a pot with a lid on the stove on high. Wait until it is hot and then add one tablespoon of amaranth. It pops quickly. Once it is popped, transfer to a bowl. Then repeat with another tablespoon. Repeat until all the amaranth is popped. It actually doesn't take very long, because it pops so quickly.

Chop the almonds and figs into small pieces. Add to the amaranth. Mix. Add the vanilla to the agave, mix. Add the agave to the amaranth, coating well. Press into a 9" pan.