Martha’s Creamy Amaranth and Zucchini Tortilla Lasagna

Martha Miranda is a biologist dedicated to recovering the cultural, nutritional and ecological value of amaranth. Through her NGO work at Puente a la Salud Comunitaria, she reconnects traditional knowledge with contemporary food practices, bringing ingredients like amaranth back into everyday cooking as a way to strengthen food diversity, creativity and community resilience.

See recipe

Listen to Martha’s Story

As a biologist, she studied nature as something separate from herself, until she realized that we interact with nature every day through what we eat. Every meal connects us to plants, seeds, landscapes, agricultural practices, biodiversity, and the people who hold that knowledge. Her work is rooted in the belief that what we eat can reconnect us with nature and help build a more equitable food system.

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  • "The word amaranto comes from the Greek and means “that which never dies.” But the name we should really give it, especially in central Mexico, is huautli, which means “the smallest giver of life,” because it is such a tiny seed."

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  • "I've called this recipe “La Hazaña: the feat of the common good". We build the common good layer by layer, adding everyday ingredients from a Mexican and Oaxacan milpa."

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  • "We make a cream sauce blended with chile de agua, which is very Oaxacan and gives it a delicious flavor. We add the popped amaranth seeds and quesillo to give it that Central Valleys of Oaxaca touch."

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  • "We layer tortillas, amaranth leaves, epazote and sea salt, add the cream and then layer squash blossoms, zucchini and onion, before finishing with more amaranth leaves."

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  • "Each ingredient is chosen consciously, turning the dish into a reflection of identity, place and the relationship between food and culture."

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  • "I feel sometimes we are too attached to tradition and to our grandmother's recipes. We need to find new ways to solve today's problems. Maybe our creativity lies in rescuing what has been forgotten.

Listen to Martha’s Story

As a biologist, she studied nature as something separate from herself, until she realized that we interact with nature every day through what we eat. Every meal connects us to plants, seeds, landscapes, agricultural practices, biodiversity, and the people who hold that knowledge. Her work is rooted in the belief that what we eat can reconnect us with nature and help build a more equitable food system.

La Hazaña (Creamy Amaranth and Zucchini Tortilla Lasagna)

By Martha Miranda

INGREDIENTS

  • 8-10 corn tortillas cut into 4cm squares

  • 2 cups fresh amaranth leaves, washed

  • 1 cup squash blossoms, cleaned and roughly torn

  • 1 small zucchini, diced

  • 1 small onion, finely sliced

  • 1/2 cup popped amaranth seeds

  • ¼ cup amaranth seeds toasted and ground

  • 1 cup quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese), shredded

  • 3/4 cup Mexican crema or heavy cream

  • 1–2 chiles de agua, roasted, peeled and seeded

  • 1/4 cup fresh epazote leaves, roughly chopped

  • Sea salt, to taste

PREPARATION

Step 1
Blend the chile de agua with the cream and the ground amaranth seeds until smooth. Season with sea salt.

Step 2
Arrange tortillas in the bottom of a baking dish. Add a layer of amaranth leaves, and a little epazote.

Step 3
Pour some of the chile cream over the leaves. Sprinkle with popped amaranth and quesillo.

Step 4
Continue with a layer of squash blossoms, followed by the zucchini and onion.

Step 5
Add a final layer of amaranth leaves. Pour over the remaining chile cream and finish with more popped amaranth and quesillo.

Step 6
Bake at 375°F / 190°C until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the layers are heated through, about 15–20 minutes.

Step 7
Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Decorate with amaranth leaves, a sprinkle of popped amaranth seeds and marigold petals.


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