Do you know about quinoa?
It’s an ancient grain that has really been making a comeback just in the
last 10 years or so. Just from reading
the back of the package I see that quinoa is a great vegetarian source of
protein and fiber; as well as iron, calcium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin,
folate, and phosphorus.
Quinoa has a slightly nutty flavor that plays well as a
pilaf, or in salads. It is important to
rinse the quinoa before cooking, however, or that nutty flavor will be taken over by bitterness… There ain’t nobody who likes bitter quinoa!
I actually had a request on the Twitter from Javier for a
quinoa recipe. I am only too happy to
oblige Javier!
This Mushroom Quinoa is very versatile. I used tarragon which has a slight licorice
flavor, but you could also use parsley, thyme or rosemary. Enjoy Mushroom Quinoa as a side dish, as a main
dish with a salad, or as a stuffing for chicken, peppers, or zucchini.
Here’s what you do.
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water. This helps to remove and bitter flavor. |
Saute the fresh mushrooms in olive oil over medium-high heat. |
When the mushrooms have browned, add the shallots, garlic, and a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook stirring for 2 to 3 minutes; until the shallots are translucent. |
Remove the cooked mushrooms to a bowl. |
Melt a tablespoon of butter in the same pan that you cooked the mushrooms in and toast the quinoa for about 5 minutes over medium heat. |
When the quinoa has toasted add to the pan, the soaking liquid from the mushrooms, the vegetable or chicken broth... |
...And a tablespoon of soy sauce. I use low sodium. |
Mushroom Quinoa is super versatile; it goes great with chicken, pork, beef or lamb. |
MUSHROOM QUINOA
Serve 4 as a side dish
1/3 cup Dried mushrooms
2/3 cup Boiling water
1 cup Quinoa
8 oz. Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Shallot,
minced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt
and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 ½ cups Vegetable or chicken stock; low or no
sodium
1 Tbsp. Light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon, chopped
1.
In a
small bowl, pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms; set to the side.
2.
In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa under
cold, running water. This removes any bitterness.
3.
Add the fresh mushrooms and olive oil to a 3 quart
sauce pan, cook, stirring occasionally over medium high heat until the
mushrooms have browned.
4.
Add the shallots, garlic and a pinch of salt and
pepper; cook stirring for about 2 minutes, until the shallots are translucent.
5.
Remove the cooked mushroom mixture to a bowl.
6.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the dried
mushrooms from the water. Give the dried mushrooms a rough chop, and
add them to the same bowl as the cooked mushroom mixture. Pour ½ cup of the
soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms into a measuring cup, being careful not
to pour any of the residue that had settled in the bottom of the bowl. Set to the side.
7.
Melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat to
the same pan, add the quinoa. Toast the
quinoa for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
8.
Add the reserved ½ cup of soaking liquid from
the mushrooms, the vegetable or chicken stock, and the soy sauce to the
quinoa. Bring the liquid up to a low
boil.
9.
Stir in the mushrooms and turn the heat down to
medium low to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes; until the liquid has been
absorbed. When the quinoa is done, the
grains will be translucent and the outer germ layer will separate.
10.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh
tarragon.
Serve with chicken, steak, pork or lamb.
*Note, ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary or thyme may be
substituted for the fresh tarragon. Add
dried herbs to the mushrooms in step 4.
Wow what a perfect recipe! I love quinoa and I love mushrooms so pairing them up for a healthy meal sounds great!
ReplyDeleteHi Kari,
ReplyDeletethank you for this wonderful recipe.
Quinua is a great gift from Mother Nature and I love the combination with mushrooms, looks so tasty :)
I love quinoa and super love mushrooms even more, so this dish is right up my alley! :)
ReplyDeleteKari! you've been nominated to get a Liebster award! Details are on my blog. Congratulations!
ReplyDeletehttp://justdipitinchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/02/ive-been-nominated.html