We love the way it looks: It’s fun food. It belongs on a list of grilled cheese sandwich ideas.

But this sandwich is not so much fun, after all.

It was a dubious winner of a 2011 Xtreme Eating Award, bestowed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to highlight “American chain restaurants’ culinary extremism.”

Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt is described as “Grilled cheese with a twist. Four fried mozzarella sticks and melted American cheese grilled between two slices of sourdough bread. Served with wavy-cut French fries and a side of marinara sauce.”

The “twist” serves itself up at 1,260 calories, 21 grams of saturated fat and 3,010 mg of sodium—the equivalent of downing two Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizzas.

While the idea of cheese-within-cheese is fun, the results aren’t. So here’s THE NIBBLE’s own Eat This, Not That suggestion:

 
Here are the 2013 Xtreme Eating Awards winners.

They’re not traditional peanut butter cups, in that there’s no chocolate enrobing the PB. What they are is peanut butter chips shaped like miniature peanut butter cups. They’re a visual delight, a fun change of pace from chips.

As with peanut butter chips, the cups soften but hold their shape in baked goods.

Cookies & Bars: Mix into chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies or peanut butter cookies. Plan to add 1-1/2 cups to the cookie recipe. For bar cookies, think chocolate brownies, blondies and oatmeal bars.

It’s hard not to snack on them, but these little peanut butter cups were meant for baking and garnishing. Photo courtesy King Arthur Flour.

Cake & Pie Garnish: Top iced cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes and cream pies—chocolate, banana, peanut butter, vanilla.

Ice Cream: Add to chocolate, peanut butter or vanilla ice cream at the end of the churn cycle; mix into softened store-bought ice cream; or use as a parfait or sundae garnish.

If you can’t resist snacking on them, 14 pieces = one Weight Watchers point.

A 12-ounce bag of Mini Peanut Butter Cups is $7.95 at KingArthurFlour.com.

RECIPE: CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

With pockets of peanut butter in a rich chocolate base, these cookies get raves from everyone who bakes them.

Prep time is 10 to 14 minutes, bake time 7 to 9 minutes, total time 27 to 37 minutes, yield approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2. WHISK together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl…

3. BEAT together the sugars, butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

4. BEAT in the vanilla, egg, and water; then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

5. STIR in the mini peanut butter cups.

6. SCOOP rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets; a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. Flatten each cookie to about 1/2″ thick.

7. BAKE for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove cookies from the oven and cool on a rack.

Here’s another recipe, for Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie.
 
Find more of our favorite cookie recipes.

Amaranth is planted worldwide, harvested for cereal and leaf vegetables, and used as ornamental plants. It has been cultivated for 8,000 years.

There are some 60 species, tall plants with foliage ranging from purple and red to green or gold. Like buckwheat and quinoa, amaranth is not a grain but a pseudograin. The difference: True cereals are grasses, pseudocereals are broadleaf plants. Their overall nutrient profile is similar to that of cereals, and they are similarly utilized in cooking.

The seeds of pseudograins (analogous to the grains of cereals) can be cooked whole or ground into flour, which in turn becomes cereal, goes into tortillas and other baked goods, and becomes snack food: made into candy and chips, popped and made into a bar mixed with honey, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Tiny beads of amaranth, the seeds of the plant. Photo courtesy Bob’s Red Mill.

A whole protein contains all of the essential amino acids—like meat or milk, but actually a higher quality protein. Amaranth also contains significantly more calcium, iron, fiber, magnesium and protein than cereals like oats, rice, rye, sorghum and wheat.

In fact, amaranth packs more protein than any other plant on earth; NASA selected it as part of its astronauts’ diets. The leaves Amaranth pack more calcium, iron and vitamin C and than spinach. It also can withstand the triple digit temperatures of climate change, which corn cannot.
 
8,000 YEARS OF AMARANTH

Amaranth was a staple grain of the pre-Colombian Aztec diet, along with corn (maize). But amaranth was banned by the Spanish conquistadors for its use in human sacrifice rituals. Corn went on to become a staple grain worldwide, while amaranth faded into obscurity in Mexico.

It did, however, spread around the world: Both leaves and seeds became important food sources in areas of Africa, India and Nepal. In recent decades, amaranth it has spread to China, Nigeria, Russia and Thailand, and other parts of South America.

And, it’s now grown in the U.S., in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New York (Long Island) and North Dakota.

The plant, called “the crop of the future” by Science magazine in 1977, is finally making a comeback in Mexico thanks to two American philanthropists who are encouraging farmers to grow it. Mexico has the highest rate of adult obesity in the world, yet each year some 10,000 children die from malnutrition.*

The flavor of amaranth flavor runs from light and nutty to lively and peppery. It’s a natural ingredient for breads, cookies, crackers, muffins, pancakes and porridge. The cooked grains can be spread sprinkled on salads and soups.

Cooking amaranth is very easy. As with cereal grains, simply boil with water and salt (6 cups of water per cup of amaranth) for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally; then drain, rinse and eat. The cooking liquid becomes thick and viscous from the starch released as the amaranth cooks.

Cooked amaranth never loses its crunch completely. Chewing a spoonful of cooked amaranth grains has been compared to eating a spoonful of caviar: a slight pop on the surface and a soft inside.

 
*Ironically, these issues are linked: Childhood malnutrition makes children seven to eight times more likely to be overweight or obese as an adult.

Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/devinthorpe/2013/06/26/amaranth-how-will-it-change-the-world/
http://www.pri.org/stories/science/environment/mexicans-pushing-for-return-of-ancient-grain-amaranth-to-agriculture-14176.html
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/amaranth-may-grain-of-the-month-0

Just because it’s National Whole Grains Month doesn’t mean you have to flock to the brown rice and whole wheat pasta. Good as they are, why not try something new—something you might enjoy as much or more? Because whole grains are not only good for you; they’re delicious.

Thousands of years ago, many more grains were cultivated; in modern times, the majority have fallen out of fashion. Yet, with focus on the important health benefits of whole grains and the recommended 3-5 servings daily, these largely-forgotten nutritional powerhouses call out for your attention.

All of the ancient grains are very healthful and excellent sources of protein and dietary fiber. They’re a less expensive way to add high protein to your diet, with minimal fat. You may know farro, quinoa and other newly “discovered” ancient grains, but how about these four?

1. Amaranth. Amaranth was first cultivated 8,000 years in Mesoamerica. Like quinoa, is actually a seed, not a grain. Like quinoa, it is a whole protein, containing all of the essential amino acids (the amino acid lysine is lacking in many grains); and is gluten free. Amaranth contains unusually high-quality protein and is higher in fiber than wheat, corn, rice, or soybeans. Use it place of corn grits in your polenta. Try this Amaranth Polenta with Wild Mushrooms recipe.

Quinoa cakes with spinach, feta and lemon-dill yogurt sauce is a healthier take on spanakopita. Photo courtesy PaniniHappy.com. Here’s the recipe.

3. Millet. Millet was cultivated in China some 10,000 years ago, making it one of the earliest cultivated grains. It was revered in ancient China as one of five sacred crops*. Whole grain millet is a good source of protein, essential amino acids and fiber. Quick-cooking, easily digested and naturally gluten free, millet has a mild, sweet flavor and can be served in sweet or savory preparations. Try it as a hot breakfast cereal. Serve it as an alternative to rice in salads and stir-fries. Serve millet with a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper in place of mashed potatoes. Add a crunch to deviled eggs, salads and other recipes with toasted millet seeds (recipe). You can also add uncooked millet to breads for a crunchy texture and a hint of sweetness.

4. Teff. Teff is an ancient North African cereal grass, and the smallest grain in the world. The germ and bran, where the nutrients are concentrated, account for a much larger volume of the seed compared to more familiar grains, which provides its “nutritional powerhouse” standing. One serving of whole grain teff averages 4 grams of dietary fiber, 7 grams of protein and nearly one quarter of our suggested daily calcium intake. Cook or bake with it: Here’s a delicious Apple and Pear Crisp made with teff.

There’s more to consider, of course. Here’s a complete list of whole grains:

Amaranth, barley (but not pearled barley), buckwheat (kasha), bulgur (cracked wheat), chia/Salba®†, corn (whole grain corn or cornmeal, yellow or white, but not grits), farro (emmer wheat), flaxseed, grano, hemp, Kamut® (khorasan wheat), millet, oats (oatmeal, whole or rolled oats), popcorn, quinoa, rice (black, brown, red, wild), rye (whole), spelt, sorghum, teff, triticale (a barley/wheat hybrid), whole wheat.
 
*The list varies by source. The Classic of Rites, compiled by Confucius in the 6th century B.C.E., lists broomcorn, foxtail millet, hemp, soybeans and wheat.

September 13th International Chocolate Day and gourmet retailer Balducci’s is celebrating with samplings and giveaways. They’ve also shared their recipe for Dark Chocolate-Chili Fondue, below.

Balducci’s will have samples of the chocolates at its:

From September 13th to September 22nd, visitors can enter to win a Balducci’s Chocolate Lover’s Gift Basket, filled with an assortment of international chocolate treats:

Celebrate International Chocolate Day with chocolate from different countries. Photo courtesy Balducci’s.

RECIPE: DARK CHOCOLATE-CHILI FONDUE

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

1. MELT chocolate with cream, milk, butter, sugar, chili pepper, cinnamon and cayenne in a small heavy sauce pan. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.

2. TRANSFER to a small fondue pot and keep warm. Serve with dippers of your choice
 
FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE CHOCOLATE FONDUE RECIPES.