Robin's Quinoa with Mushrooms and Spinach

SUBMITTED BY: Robin B. PHOTO BY: Cardamum

"I do pilates over my lunch break a couple of times a week, and this is the perfect thing to eat after it. It's way better than the usual lean-cuisine, and way better for you. Plus, it's super-cheap to make and you get three lunches out of it, easily."

PREP TIME	25 Min
COOK TIME	25 Min
READY IN	50 Min

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 3 servings

USMETRIC

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INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup white wine
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 (10 ounce) bag washed spinach leaves
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

READ REVIEWS (19)

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in quinoa until well blended.
Pour in 1/2 cup white wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed by the quinoa, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon chopped thyme. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Pour in 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup chicken stock, and 1 teaspoon chopped thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes.
Once the quinoa has cooked, stir in the mushroom mixture, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove quinoa from the heat and stir in spinach leaves, which will wilt. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

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REVIEWS

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Reviewed on Apr. 7, 2007 by Nancy

I am a big fan of quinoa and am always looking for new recipes, but I'll definitely make this one again. The mushrooms, wine and balsamic vinegar give this dish a dark rich color and flavor. I made a few substitutions to meet my own tastes: I substituted the chicken broth for vegetarian, added roasted red peppers and used feta rather than goat's cheese. I also think that half bag of spinach is more than enough. Very good.

15 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Oct. 23, 2007 by KymInNM

I'm picky about quinoa recipes, and I thought this one was excellent. I made a few minor changes based on personal preference: I cooked the onions and the mushrooms longer (I let the mushrooms simmer for about 10 additional minutes with the lid off to reduce the sauce), used more spinach, subbed veg broth for chicken, and omitted the cheese. This was delicious and flavorful, and I didn't find the wine flavor to be too strong at all (maybe it's the type of wine I used, sauvignon blanc). A definite keeper!

2 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Aug. 5, 2007 by Cardamum

I didn't love this. I thought the white wine flavor was too overpowering. Probably just personal preference, though. I may try it again without the white wine. Thanks anyway, quinoa recipes are few and far between!

2 users found this review helpful

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