I was at the Subi markets Saturday morning and I came upon some shimeji mushrooms so I got some and decided to have it for lunch, and what a great idea that turned out to be. These mushrooms are more flavoursome than the normal cremini mushrooms, but not as over powering as shiitake, and since they are much smaller, they actually soak up other flavours really well. You can substitute with a mix of different mushrooms, cremini, field, shiitake and enoki if you like. The stock makes a nice gravy which adds to the pilaf texture and the edamame beans gives it a nice crunch. I found some in Woolworths in the Japanese sushi station they now have set up.
Quinoa is one of the most protein rich foods in the world and contains twice as much fiber as most other grains. This ancient grain dates back to the Incas, being part of their stable diet. It's been dubbed a superfood, for it's plethora of health benefits. It contains more vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants than any other grain. It's super versatile when it comes to cooking. It can be used from breads, cakes, salads, soups and even as a substitute for rice with sushi. So get yourself some quinoa and start experimenting!
This dish took a total of 30 mins from beginning to end. Always cook the quinoa first and then you can prepare the vegetables as it's cooking. Feel free to add in other vegetables you have, I chose these to make the mushroom taste stand out more, but experiment away!
Mushroom & Kale Quinoa 'Pilaf'
1/4 cup red quinoa
1/4 cup white quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cluster shimeji mushroom
(or 1 1/2 cup of mixed mushrooms)
1/2 large zucchini
7 stems of kale
1/4 cup edamame beans
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp coriander seed powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable stock
extra water for gravy
1. Rinse the quinoa with cold water, drain well
2. Add 1 cup of stock and bring to boil, make sure you don't stir the pot or lift the lid
3. Turn the heat down to low-med and cook for a further 15 mins
4. Turn the heat off and let sit for another 10 mins, don't lift the lid off, in the meantime cook the vegetables
5. Add the garlic, spices, stock and oil into a wok to heat up the gravy
6. Get a cluster of the mushrooms and cut the base off so the mushrooms separate, add into the hot gravy mixture along with the edamame beans
7. Stir fry for 5 mins on hot until the mushrooms soak up the gravy stock
8. Peel the zucchini and scrape out the seeds in the middle, cut lengthways 4 times and then cube into small pieces, add into the wok, stir for another 5 mins
9. Chop the kale up into small pieces and add in. At this point you might have to add in a little water if becomes dry, having some juice/gravy at the bottom is fine
10. Stir for a further 5 mins until the kale pieces shrink and the stock in infused into the vegetables
11. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add into the vegetables, mix thoroughly and serve!
2. Add 1 cup of stock and bring to boil, make sure you don't stir the pot or lift the lid
3. Turn the heat down to low-med and cook for a further 15 mins
4. Turn the heat off and let sit for another 10 mins, don't lift the lid off, in the meantime cook the vegetables
5. Add the garlic, spices, stock and oil into a wok to heat up the gravy
6. Get a cluster of the mushrooms and cut the base off so the mushrooms separate, add into the hot gravy mixture along with the edamame beans
7. Stir fry for 5 mins on hot until the mushrooms soak up the gravy stock
8. Peel the zucchini and scrape out the seeds in the middle, cut lengthways 4 times and then cube into small pieces, add into the wok, stir for another 5 mins
9. Chop the kale up into small pieces and add in. At this point you might have to add in a little water if becomes dry, having some juice/gravy at the bottom is fine
10. Stir for a further 5 mins until the kale pieces shrink and the stock in infused into the vegetables
11. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add into the vegetables, mix thoroughly and serve!
