This creamy parmesan Quinoa Mushroom Risotto is truly one of my all time favorite recipes!! It combines 3 of my favorite foods…mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and quinoa. I have been making variations of creamy risotto-style rice dishes for many years, but only recently swapped rice for Quinoa and I’M IN LOVE 😍
So, what do you pair with a creamy parmesan Quinoa Mushroom Risotto, you ask? Well… Cauliflower Steaks of course! It’s cauliflower and it’s hearty like a “steak”. Cauliflower Steaks that are perfectly seasoned and roasted in the oven, that is.
Quinoa the Superfood
Let’s start with the Quinoa! If you already make Quinoa at home, then you likely know how amazing it is for you both health-wise as well as taste and texture-wise. Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, is actually an edible seed that the Incas referred to it as the “mother of all grains” thousands of years back and believed it to be sacred. It started to become really trendy around the world a handful of years ago, when we really started to see it show up in a lot of new recipes and it moved from being a specialty or health food item, to an everyday, mainstream grocery store item. I started to cook with quinoa 2 years ago and use it in place of rice or pasta in a variety of dishes. It is gluten-free, so I love that benefit as I look to reduce/cut gluten from my diet.
There are so many health benefits with quinoa. First, it’s high in protein, which makes it a great addition to any vegetarian dish. 1 Cup of Cooked quinoa has 8g of complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains – did you know that? That was news to me! Fiber is of course, important for digestion, but also helps reduce high blood pressure, lower cholesterol and lower glucose levels.
Quinoa contains Iron, the antioxidant Manganese and Lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. It also is rich in magnesium, which promotes healthy blood sugar control and helps with body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth. Last, but not least, Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2), which improves energy metabolism. It is seriously a Superfood!
Easy Prep!
This risotto recipe skips the wine and uses broth to cook and thicken, while focusing on the flavors from the garlic, parmesan, and mushrooms. I also swapped the heavy cream for low fat milk and you will not miss any of the flavor, I promise! The quinoa soaks up the broth just as rice does so you make it the same way, ladling in the liquid small amounts at a time, each time stirring and allowing it to absorb, then adding more until it is perfectly cooked and creamy.
The perfect partner to this oh-so-healthy Quinoa Risotto, is the equally healthy Cauliflower Steak. The Cauliflower, seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and oregano, is sturdy enough to stay in its “steak” slice as it roasts in the oven, releasing its natural sugars for delicious caramelization…it’s truly amazing flavor! NOTE: In the Summer, you can also grill these outside! They are thick enough to hold up to the high heat perfectly.
Now, bring them both together for a Super, Super-Grain and Super-Steak meal!
Enjoy!
Quinoa Mushroom Risotto & Cauliflower Steaks
Ingredients
Quinoa Mushroom Risotto
- 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup White Button Mushrooms, chopped
- 4 Scallions, thinly sliced green onions
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 cups Vegetable Broth
- ½ cup Quinoa
- ½ teaspoon Oregano, dried
Cauliflower Steaks
- 3-4 Cauliflower Steak Slices
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat 3 cups of vegetable broth in a small pot. This will be used for making the Quinoa Risotto.
- Prepare the ingredients for the Quinoa...Slice and then rough shop 1 cup of mushrooms. Slice 4 scallions separating the whites from the greens. Mince 1 clove of garlic.
Make Quinoa Mushroom Risotto
- Rinse the quinoa in a strainer under warm water 2 times.
- In a preheated saute pan, saute with 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil, the mushrooms and the scallion whites. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are seared and reduced in size by half. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan the mushrooms were cooked in, add the garlic and half of the scallion greens for 1-2 minutes. Add the quinoa and a few ladles of hot broth to cover the quinoa. Cook until broth is absorbed, stir frequently. Ladle more broth into the quinoa, another ½ cup at a time allowing it to absorb. Continue this until quinoa is fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
- Last, add the remaining scallion greens (save a teaspoon for garnish) and the mushrooms and stir to combine. Add the parmesan and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Make the Cauliflower Steaks
- For Roasting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For grilling, get the grill going!
- Make the spice mixture by placing all spices and the salt in a small bowl and stirring to combine.
- Place the cauliflower steaks on a large sheet pan and brush each side with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Then sprinkle each steak with a healthy amount of the spice mixture.
- For Roasting in the oven...roast for about 15 minutes until you get a nice browned outside.For Grilling, you will only need about 8-10 minutes. Once you get some nice charring on one side (about 5-6 minutes), flip the steaks gently and then cook for another few minutes - but remove from heat before it gets too soft or mushy.
- That's it! Pair with the Quinoa Risotto and enjoy!
Spiced Cauliflower Steaks - Grilled or Roasted!
Ingredients
- 1 Head Cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- For Roasting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For grilling, get the grill going!
- Make the spice mixture by placing all spices and the salt in a small bowl and stirring to combine.
- Clean the cauliflower and cut off any excess stem hanging down and green leaves, but DO NOT remove the core, as this is needed to hold the "steaks" together during roasting. Slice the Cauliflower in ¾ inch slices. You should end up with 2 ends and 4-4 large inside "steak" slices. Break off any loose florets from the ends and save for snacking later.
- Place the cauliflower steaks on a large sheet pan and brush each side with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Then sprinkle each steak with a healthy amount of the spice mixture.
- For Roasting in the oven...roast for about 15 minutes until you get a nice browned outside.For Grilling, you will only need about 8-10 minutes. Once you get some nice charring on one side (about 5-6 minutes), flip the steaks gently and then cook for another few minutes - but remove from heat before it gets too soft or mushy.
- That's it! Pair with the Quinoa Risotto and enjoy!
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