Quinoa Risotto With Mushrooms And Summer Squash Recipes

QUINOA MUSHROOM 'RISOTTO'

Steps:

• Mix water, quinoa, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and chicken bouillon granules in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until white threads appear on the quinoa grains, about 15 minutes.
• Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms, onion, and red bell pepper in hot oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes; season with salt.
• Stir red wine and soy sauce into the vegetable mixture; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes.
• Mix quinoa and vegetables in a large serving bowl; top with Parmesan cheese.

MUSHROOM AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Steps:

• Combine the chicken broth and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Put the porcini mushrooms in a spouted measuring cup and ladle 1 cup hot stock over. Let soak 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, and finely chop. Pour the soaking liquid back into the broth.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and almost tender, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and turn to medium-high heat. Scatter in the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are well browned and have given up their liquid and the liquid has reduced away, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat in the olive oil. Let the rice toast in the skillet for a minute, then stir in the reserved chopped porcini.
• Add the white wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until absorbed. Ladle in enough of the hot stock to just cover the rice. Adjust the heat so the risotto is gently simmering. Cook and stir the rice until the liquid is almost absorbed, then ladle in more stock just to cover. Continue to stir and add stock until the rice is al dente, adding the squash in the last 6 minutes of cooking time, 18 to 20 minutes. You may have a little bit of stock left over, and that's OK.)
• Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter, cheese and parsley. Serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan at the table.

QUINOA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the hot oil until browned, about 5 minutes; set aside.
• Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa to the melted butter and let it brown, about 3 minutes. Pour the chicken broth over the quinoa; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the sauteed mushroom mixture and cook another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

SUNFLOWER SEED "RISOTTO" WITH SQUASH AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Place sunflower seeds in a medium, wide, heavy pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until al dente, 45-55 minutes.
• Strain seeds through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Transfer 1 cup cooking liquid and 1 cup seeds to a blender; reserve remaining seeds and discard remaining liquid. Add cream and 2/3 cup Parmesan and blend until very smooth.
• Wipe out pot. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in pot over medium. Add onion, half of garlic, and 4 thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and onion begins to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add reserved sunflower seeds and cook until seeds are toasted, about 1 minute. Add broth and wine and simmer over medium heat until liquid is almost fully reduced and seeds are tender, 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms, 2 thyme sprigs, and remaining garlic and 1 Tbsp. oil and continue cooking until mushrooms and squash are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and transfer to a plate.
• When broth is almost completely evaporated, add blended seed mixture and cook until sauce thickens, 5-8 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and stir in 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; taste and adjust seasonings. Divide "risotto" among bowls and top with sautéed vegetables, Parmesan, pepper, and thyme sprigs.

THREE-CHEESE-AND-MUSHROOM QUINOA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 cup hot water, and set aside until softened, 5 to 10 minutes; drain, and chop, reserving the soaking liquid. Put the butter or oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the shallots and dried and fresh mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shiitakes begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the quinoa, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's glossy and coated with butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then add the wine. Stir, letting the liquid bubble away. Add the porcini soaking liquid, being careful not to pour in any sediment.
• Start adding the stock about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle bubble. When the stock is nearly evaporated, add more. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and adding stock as necessary; the mixture should be neither soupy nor dry.
• Begin tasting the quinoa about 20 minutes after you added it; you want it to be tender but not mushy and to have released some of its starch. Once it reaches that stage, after about 25 minutes, stir in the cheeses, along with a little more butter or oil if you like. Stir until the cheeses melt; taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

SQUASH AND MUSHROOM MEDLEY

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the squash, zucchini and onion in butter until tender. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper; saute 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through.

LEMON RISOTTO WITH SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that the stock or broth is well seasoned.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the squash and a generous pinch of salt. Turn the heat up to medium high, and cook, stirring often, until the squash is translucent but not too soft, about five minutes.
• Stir in the rice and the garlic, and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stir until it has been absorbed. Turn the heat back down to medium, and begin adding the simmering stock a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the rice is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion, stirring in more stock when the rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stir often.
• When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, in about 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and Parmesan. Remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if it isn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

QUINOA WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND MIXED SQUASHES

Steps:

• Combine the quinoa and bouillon cube with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a skillet or stir-fry pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until translucent.
• Add the wine, if using, the squashes, and mushrooms, and sauté over medium-high heat until the squashes are touched with golden spots.
• Stir in the cooked quinoa, followed by the parsley, oregano, and cumin. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper, then serve at once.
• Salads with a little sweetness provide a nice balance to this dish. Try Mixed Greens with Sprouts, Apple, and Daikon (page 179), Fruitful Red Slaw (page 177), or Spinach and Red Cabbage Salad with Oranges and Almonds (page 180). To boost the protein content of the meal, serve with Garlic and Lemon Beans (page 110).
• You can also complete this meal simply with sautéed vegan sausage links (my favorite, as I've mentioned several times, is Tofurky brand) and a salad of greens and tomatoes.
• Calories: 251
• Total Fat: 6g
• Protein: 9g
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sodium: 200mg

RISOTTO WITH SUMMER SQUASH AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan.
• Add in the onion and cook slowly over low heat until it is very soft and just beginning to take on color.
• Add the squash and continue cooking over low heat until squash is nearly tender.
• Add the rice and, stirring constantly, saute until the grains of rice are opaque and make a clicking sound against the metal of the saucepan, about 1-2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the broth until it is very hot; turn off the heat, but keep the broth hot on a warm burner.
• Add the white wine to the rice and cook slowly, stirring constantly, until it is completely absorbed.
• Add the hot broth to the rice one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently.
• The rice should cook very slowly over low heat.
• Wait until all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladleful of broth.
• Midway in the cooking time, add salt and pepper.
• When the rice is just barely tender, add the fontina and gently cook, stirring continuously, until the cheese begins to soften.
• Add the basil, 2 tablespoons butter, and the Parmesan cheese.
• Turn off the heat and stir vigorously until all the butter and cheese are absorbed.
• Pass additional Parmesan at the table.

QUINOA RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS AND SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat.
• Add garlic and onions and cook until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
• Add mushrooms and cook until done.
• Add squash/zucchini and cook until translucent.
• Add quinoa and stir quickly, absorbing all the oil and making sure all the quinoa is coated.
• Add 1 cup of broth and cook until it is all absorbed. Keep an eye on it and stir often.
• Add another cup of broth and cook until absorbed.
• Add the last cup of broth and do the same.
• Add the cup of milk and let cook until cooked down and creamy.
• Add the cheese and stir constantly until melted.
• Salt and pepper to taste.