Amazing Dinner…Simply Put

I think I have found my new favorite recipe. Seriously. It was that good. No- it was great. Amazing actually and I savored every single last grain and then traced my index finger around the rim of the saucepan to get another link. Make this tomorrow. Seriously–it was SO easy. The most difficult thing would be to find the Taleggio cheese at the store. Search for it because it is amazing but if you can’t find it, try Brie.

The recipe came from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking again. It was originally named “Quinoa and Crescenza with Sauteed Mushrooms” but I made it with Taleggio cheese and I wouldn’t change a thing. It was creamy, rich and deeply satisfying. I had with a glass of red wine for a total calorie count of 539. So good! I used to make risotto a lot when I needed something warm, cheesy and comforting but now I will be making this. Maybe again next week!

Here’s the recipe, my modifications made

Quinoa and Taleggio with Sauteed Spicy Mushrooms

Serves 1

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped onion (about 1/4 of an onion)

1/4 cup dry quinoa

1/4 cup organic chicken stock

pinch of sea salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup water

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 ounce taleggio cheese

1. Saute the onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp of olive oil until the onions are soft. About 3-4 minutes. Add the quinoa, stock and a pinch of salt and let the stock reduce a bit. About 2 minutes.

2. Add the water and bring the quinoa mixture to a boil then return to a simmer and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.

3. While that’s going, heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and add the red pepper flakes and another small pinch of salt. Add the mushrooms and saute til golden.

4. When the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, stir in the cheese. Put in a bowl and top with the mushrooms and enjoy each and every single bite. Heavenly.

441 calories

ENJOY!!!!

A note on quinoa:  always rinse your quinoa in a strainer before using it to wash away the natural bitter coating that it has.

I had a pretty good cardio session at the gym today. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the bike, then went outside and walked around the big lake at my apartment complex (it’s about half a mile around) to get outside a bit. I miss my outdoor runs three times a week 🙁 Hopefully my leg will heal fast but for now elliptical/bike/walking doesn’t bother it!