QUINOA RISOTTO (OR QUINOTTO) WITH MUSHROOMS AND THYME

I seem to loose a lot of time lately, there's never enough and somehow I get very little done. I find this quite disturbing and I hope I'll manage to be more careful because I need it right now, too many things to do and now the garden begins to poke for my attention too, sometimes I think it would be better just to turn it into a parking lot. And paint it green as grass with some coloured blobs here and there to simulate flower beds. Ha!

I have been very unorthodox, I made quinoa risotto. (Or should it be called quinotto maybe?) Oh-oh, that's almost blasphemous isn't it? But right now I'm beyond that kind of worries, I just do whatever comes into my mind, maybe that's why all the time is disappearing... Anyway, I made it simple with some dried mushrooms from Sweden and thyme; it was quite tasty and I think there's a future for quinottos!





QUINOA RISOTTO (OR QUINOTTO) WITH MUSHROOMS AND THYME
2 servings

200 ml/ 0.85 cup quinoa
1/2 small onion
A handful of dried mushrooms
Fresh thyme (if possible)
Vegetable or chicken stock
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil

- First of all put the mushrooms to soak in some tepid water for at least 30 minutes. Keep the water.
- Rinse the quinoa well and leave to drain.
- Chop or slice the onion and start braising it in some olive together with the thyme, after about 3 minutes, squeeze the mushrooms and add them to the onion.
- Braise for a couple of more minutes and then add the quinoa. Go on cooking for a minute or two, stirring all the time.
- Now start adding the stock, a ladle at a time and stirring all the time. Add the mushroom water as well. Go on until the quinoa is ready, around 20 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, mix it with the quinotto and serve.