Basil Quinoa Risotto
This is a mashup of two recipes I’ve made recently: Basil & Barley Risotto and Quinoa Tabbouleh.
Quinoa is a gluten-free alternative to wheat for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
Quinoa has been hailed by some nutritionists as a “superfood.” In the 1990s, a NASA report recommended it for use on astronaut missions because of its nutritional value, including a high protein content. That helped fuel some interest.
Quinoa was first grown thousands of years ago in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. It looks and cooks like a grain; but food experts say that technically, it’s a seed.
Besides the high protein it’s also a source of iron and calcium — nutrients that vegans and vegetarians often miss out on because they are more commonly found in animal products.
As it cooks, little white spirals form on the seeds, and the white seeds become almost translucent. The tiny little seeds become a little chewy, rather than soft and starchy as rice or cous cous does.
BASIL QUINOA RISOTTO
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 1/3 cups quinoa
3 cups chicken stock (about 24 ounces)
4 ounces lite cream cheese (half of an 8-ounce package)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup slivered almonds, optional
1 cup sliced fresh spinach
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Options: Chopped fresh tomatoes
Place the butter and chicken stock together in a pot and bring to a boil. Rinse the quinoa in hot water. Add the quinoa to the pot and turn down the heat medium-low. Simmer 15 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked.
Take the pot off the stove burner. Cut the cream cheese in chunks. Stir the cream cheese, Parmesan and garlic into the quinoa until well-mixed. Stir in the almonds, spinach, herbs and parmesan cheese if using, until well-mixed. Serve hot, or chill in the refrigerator and serve at room temperature.
Makes about four 2/3-cup servings, or six 1/2-cup servings.
Options: Add 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup mushrooms, 1/4 cup chopped onions, or 1 tablespoon chopped chives.