Hello friends, this is the second healthy recipe I am posting and hope you like it.
We all know that quinoa is a super grain with all the protein, fibre, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, riboflavin, phenols… the list goes on. Moreover, it is gluten-free, low-calorie, low-fat. Wow! No wonder it is called a super food. Once I learnt the host of benefits, I have been trying different recipes which would suit the palate of my kids as well as my husband. If you are a mum, you will agree that it is not quite easy to do that.
I decided to take advantage of the creaminess of the quinoa and mimic the creamy mushroom pasta, yet make it gluten-free and vegan. It was an instant hit with my family and guests. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
Quinoa- 1 cup
Water/vegetable or meat broth- 2 cups
Button mushrooms- 200 gms, chopped into chunks
Onion- 1 large, finely chopped
Garlic- 3 cloves, minced
Red chilli flakes- 1 tsp (you can reduce the quantity if you want a mild spice level)
Black pepper – 1 tsp
Dried pasta herbs- 1 tsp (you get it as a spice mix in the stores.Alternatively, you can mix the individual herbs- basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano and thyme)
Low-fat milk- 1/2 cup (vegans can use almond milk)
gluten-free instant oats- 1 tbsp, powdered
Sunflower oil- 1 tbsp
salt
Boil the water (or broth) and add quinoa. Let it cook until it becomes fluffy and you see tiny spirals separating from the seeds. (It might take around 20 minutes.)
Heat the oil in a pan, add garlic and saute until you get a nice aroma. Then add onions and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms, chilli flakes, pasta herbs, salt, half a cup of water, mix well and keep covered until the mushrooms are cooked and the spices are well blended with it.
Mix the powdered oats with milk without lumps, add to the sauce and cook on low heat until it thickens. Add the sauce to the cooked quinoa, mix well and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Enjoy your creamy quinoa!
Discover healthy food substitutes here.
Tip: I have used the tricolour quinoa- white, red and black mixed together. You get them in individual packs as well. This recipe tastes good with any of them. The difference- red and black quinoa have slightly stronger nutty taste and are more nutritious than the white.
Do you have any suggestions or variations to this recipe? Feel free to share:
Go healthy ever after 