Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used grapeseed, you can use canola)
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1½ – 2 cups rich chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• a couple sprigs of fresh thyme
• salt
• another 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup brown cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 cup oyster mushrooms, washed and sliced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¼ to ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat cooking oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1½ cups stock (to start, you can add more later), bay leaf, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until the quinoa is very tender. If you need to, add more stock during the cooking process.
2. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the pot and discard them. Set the quinoa aside.
3. In another pan, heat another 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook about 5-6 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until it is about halfway evaporated.
4. Pour quinoa into the mushroom mixtures (or vice versa, it doesn’t matter). Stir gently. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper to taste. You can stir in a few tablespoons of grated parmesan here, but I prefer to pass a small bowl of grated Parmesan at the table. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.