Quinoa Risotto

I saw a recipe awhile back for a mushroom "risotto" on the back of a package of qunioa from Trader Joe's and thought what a great idea! I hardly ever follow recipes, I just gather ideas from recipes I come across, then make it my own. I Googled quinoa risotto and was excited to find a lot of different methods. I decided to add all my stock at once instead of the traditional method of adding a little at a time, because judging by the recipes I saw that did that, it turned into more of cream of wheat type texture; not what I was going for. They almost all had mushrooms, which I love, so I added that as well as some arugula for some greens and texture. It came out pretty darn amazing! I would definitely recommend trying this if you're looking for a healthier version of the traditional Italian risotto. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 oz package shiitake mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups baby arugula 
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 more minutes or until the mushrooms are slightly browned. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Add in the quinoa, and stir it around to coat each grain with the butter and olive oil. Toast for about 2 minutes, just until it has a slightly nutty fragrance. Add the chicken stock, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer the quinoa mixture for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the arugula and the Parmesan; stir to combine.

Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and serve immediately.