Quinoa with Mushrooms and Broccoli
Quinoa is one of those words that you might take a couple of attempts at saying before actually getting it right. ‘Keen-Wah’is how I pronounce it. Now if you have never shopped for quinoa, it is typically found in the grocery store aisle where you would find grains such as rice, barley, and couscous. It actually reminds me a lot like couscous as it is very similar in shape, size, texture, and flavor.
I’ve been sitting on some quinoa for a couple of weeks and decided that I would make something with it, and in my case a simple quinoa with caramelized mushrooms and broccoli.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups of water, or chicken stock
- pinch of salt
- pinch of cracked black pepper
- 1 cup of cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup of broccoli, steamed, chopped
Begin by adding the dry quinoa to a bowl of water and let it soak there for about 10 minutes. Stir it around with your hand, then strain it, removing all of the water after 10 minutes.
To a pot, add the quinoa, stock, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cook this on medium-high heat until it simmers, then cover, reduce the heat and cook for about 30 minutes. Check around this time, stirring with a spoon. The water should be evaporated. Remove from the heat, remove the lid, and fluff with a spoon or fork.
While the quinoa is cooking, add the butter and oil to a skillet. Bring to a medium-high heat, then toss in the mushrooms. Stir. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to caramelize.
Steam the broccoli, then chop.
Once the quinoa is finished, add it to a mixing bowl. Toss in the caramelized mushrooms, and the broccoli. Stir, and taste. Season with any additional salt or pepper.
The great thing about this recipe is that it is low fat, packed with nice protein, and has awesome side dish written all over it. So if you are looking for something new to try and get away from pasta or rice, give quinoa a shot. I’m certain you will love it.
