{Foodie Week} Roasted Mushroom Quinoa

Today's recipe is a side dish and the star of the show is one of my favorite grains, quinoa! Simple to make and mild enough to serve aside most any dish, this is one of those recipes I will definitely serve over and over again!

Quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse, high in protein, iron and calcium and extremely versatile. In fact, on numerous occasions I've served it for breakfast! There are so many delicious ways to prepare quinoa, though I am partial to the addition of meaty mushrooms!

Now forgive me for the lack of green in my photos, as I didn't have fresh parsley on hand so I substituted dried parsley. It was still delicious. No, make that perfect. It was quinoa perfection.

 And p.s., served hot or cold, these leftovers are delish!!

Roasted Mushroom Quinoa
recipe from Clean Eating magazine

Ingredients

1 lb cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 large shallot
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup quinoa (I used a combo of red and white quinoa)
1 loosely packed cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped


Directions

1. Preheat oven at 425 degrees. On a large baking sheet spread mushrooms, garlic and shallot. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake, using a spatula to toss once or twice, for 25 to 30 minutes, until mushrooms are dark brown and tender and garlic and shallots begin to crisp.
2. Meanwhile, prepare quinoa according to package. (Here's a great website with instructions if you're not familiar with cooking quinoa)
3. In a large serving bowl, combine mushroom mixture and quinoa. Sprinkle in parsley and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold.