Mushroom Marsala Quinoa Risotto

This garlic-buttered mushrooms with fluffy, cheddar and marsala infused quinoa risotto is the ultimate meal to warm your soul. 

It’s amazing how much inspiration you can gather from just one ingredient. Saturday mornings always start out with a trip to the nearest farmers’ market. Unlike my trips to the grocery store where a shopping list is a MUST and the cart is wheeled around like a rocket, I like to take my time strolling through the market, filling up my bags with whatever fresh ingredients call out my name. Living on the edge here ;).

It’s very stress-relieving and helps me stay out of a rut when it comes to weekly meal planning/prepping. Since I tend to gravitate toward the same produce, I’ve made it a goal to purchase at least 2 vegetables different from the previous week. Last week, I came back home with collard greens, bell peppers, patty pans, eggs, and mushrooms. Oh, I also purchased a hemp-based sunscreen. The market has so much more to offer than just food ;).

I’ve been purchasing my mushrooms from Kitchen Pride Mushroom Farms, and seriously, I can’t go back to the store-bought ones. I was never a mushroom snob and always thought a shroom is a shroom, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth #eyesopened #mindblown.

I had no idea what I was going to make at the time of purchase, but I knew I’d enjoy them regardless of their fate. When I got home, I went to the Kitchen Pride Facebook page for some inspiration and found out that September is National Mushroom Month. So it is true. All foods get the spotlight at some point during the year.

Here are some fun mushroom facts:

– low in calories, hearty, and filling
– provide important nutrients like B vitamins, selenium, potassium, vitamin D, fiber, and more (Speaking of vitamin D, mushrooms are the only produce that naturally contain it.)
– possess umami, which means more flavor without the extra sodium

Today I want to share with you a simple, heart-warming vegetarian dish – mushroom marsala quinoa risotto. This recipe was inspired by my love for chicken marsala, in which the highlight of the dish is truly the mushrooms. Garlic-buttered mushrooms with fluffy, cheddar (or parmesan) and marsala infused quinoa is the ultimate food to warm your soul. In other words, if you’re craving earthy, comfort food, this recipe is for you ;).

Although I normally use arborio rice or barley to make risotto, quinoa is an excellent substitute when you’re pressed for time and don’t want to stand over the stove stirring for what feels like an eternity. But I do find such a labor of love to be fitting during those times when I want to hibernate or need to slow down my mind. However, September is not the time for that as a lot of us strive to get back into a routine after the summer months.

Regardless of how busy your days may be during this time of the year, I hope you’ll take the time to nourish your body with meals like this 30-minute recipe. It also makes for great leftovers, and you can feed an army without spending a fortune. Already have more leftovers in the fridge than you know what to do with? No problem! Just freeze individual portions in containers/freezer bags to be reheated later at your convenience.

And some egg yolk action is always welcomed 😉 Adds an extra creamy element to the dish. You can also add in some extra cheddar or Parmesan.

Mushroom Marsala Quinoa Risotto

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Author: Min | MJ and Hungryman

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced carrots
• ▢ 8 oz. crimini mushrooms sliced
• ▢ salt and pepper for seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 2 cups yellow quinoa
• ▢ 1/4 cup dry marsala wine*
• ▢ 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese or parmesan
• ▢ fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and saute garlic, onions, and carrots, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned. Add tomato paste and stir until well-incorporated with vegetables.
• In a saucepan, cook/toast quinoa over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.
• Add quinoa to skillet containing mushroom mixture and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with parsley and more cheese, if desired.

Notes

Can be substituted with white wine or stock for a non-alcoholic version

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In honor of National Mushroom Month, I’d love to hear your favorite ways to enjoy mushrooms!