Honorary Dish of the Day: Turmeric Quinoa & Mushroom Medley
Honorary Dish of the Day: Wrapping up the week with this vibrant and delicious Turmeric Quinoa & Mushroom Medley as our honorary dish of the day today! I absolutely love the naturally vibrant yellow color that turmeric adds to any food it is cooked with. I have included it as a star component in some of my rice recipes and only recently thought of using a similar technique to elevate my regular quinoa-based dishes as well. My love for both mushrooms and quinoa is well-documented on this blog, so it comes as no surprise that I developed another lovely recipe that combines two of my favorite dishes together 😄.
To prepare this delicious medley, I first boiled 1 cup of rinsed and drained white quinoa in an uncovered pot under medium heat with 2 cups of water. I seasoned the water with a bit of coconut oil as well olive oil and some salt to taste. I then sprinkled in about 1 teaspoon of turmeric and stirred thoroughly to blend well with the quinoa. As I have highlighted in previous posts, quinoa cooks just like rice and gets done in a relatively short period of time, about 12 minutes in total. I usually cover the pot during the last 5 minutes and reduce the heat to low to allow the quinoa to fully cook slowly under the steam without coating the pot. Once all the water had been absorbed and the quinoa was light and fluffy in texture, I turned off the heat and set it aside.
After heating up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, I sautéed some diced red onions, tomatoes, and red bell peppers for about 3 minutes and seasoned this base mixture with about 1 teaspoon each of ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin. I then poured in cremini mushroom slices cut into halves as well as about 1/4 cup mixed blend of frozen peas and carrots to provide extra color and flavor. I seasoned the mushrooms lightly with some salt and mixed thoroughly to blend well with the base ingredients. I then covered the skillet to allow the mushrooms cook slowly under medium heat, checking in from time to time to add a bit of water as needed when the mixture begun to coat the pan. Once the mushrooms had fully cooked through after about 15 minutes, I stirred in my turmeric quinoa and mixed well to blend together. Similar to other medleys I have showcased in the past, this dish can be served hot or at room temperature as a lunch or dinner entree, or served cold as a delicious side salad as well. Light and easy to prepare, this simple recipe results in a unique dish that is not only incredibly delicious, satisfying, and flavorful but also comes loaded with many beneficial nutrients. I hope you will seriously consider adding this delightful medley to your home menu as well today. Enjoy and have a great weekend ahead! 😍💖
