Banter

It was “Meatless Monday” and the majority of my family was out of the house during dinner time, which allowed me to make any thing I wanted for dinner. I made the red, white, and blue quinoa I had picked up the other day, but had never tried. It’s actually called tri-colored quinoa. I wanted to add something sun-dried tomatoes. I also had an entire container of mushrooms calling my name, “Holly…eat us…no one else will.” I obliged. Call me a sympathetic, but when mushrooms ask for help, I answer.  It’s actually a beautiful dish in real life.

Quinoa

My youngest son is quite excitable, and when I said we were having quinoa he started chanting. “Keen-wa, Keen-wa, Keen-wa,” with fists in the air. I didn’t quite understand the excitement, but who am I to judge a half-naked toddler and his chants? I decided to join in (I kept my clothes on). Inevitably, he asked for cookies before dinner was completely eaten, and I found myself saying: “You can’t have any cookies until you eat your quinoa.”  I had just unintentionally modernized the lyrics of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in The Wall (“you can’t have any pudding…”)  I was mad at myself long enough to make fun of myself and post it to Facebook, but I recovered. No Rowan, eat your dinner first.

Sun Dried Tomato and Mushroom Quinoa | Twisted Tastes

Sun-Dried Tomato and Mushroom Quinoa

Holly McCarthy
Red, white, and blue quinoa with sun-dried tomatoes and portabella mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with garlic and crushed red pepper.
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups tri-colored quinoa prepared in vegetable broth
  • 4 cups Portabella mushrooms
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
  • 4 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup Italian salad dressing

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the quinoa as the bag suggests using vegetable broth rather than water; set aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. (I used the olive oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes.)
  • Sauté the minced garlic and mushrooms in the heated oil until golden brown.
  • To the skillet, add the quinoa, tomatoes, Italian dressing, crushed red pepper, and salt.
  • Turn the heat to low and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

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