Asparagus-Mushroom Quinoa

This is technically in the pasta sauce section of Moosewood but it is also recommended to serve in a crêpe, omelet, over fish, or on rice. I decided that quinoa was basically rice and also what I already had in my pantry.

            Speaking of me being incredibly lazy, this recipe also called for tarragon, which I couldn’t find at Trader Joe’s, so I just skipped it. P.S. every time I see the word tarragon I think of this (go to 16:50). Literally never gets old…

Additionally, the sauce required a “dry white wine”. Moosewood makes a special note that the alcohol burns off in the cooking, so I guess I should too. I know literally zero things about wine, but the Internet said that the best dry white wine for cooking was an American Sauvignon Blanc. This time, Trader Joe’s was able to step up and provide me with exactly what I needed (and for cheap as well!). The wine was also delicious to sip on while cooking and stirring and went nicely with the final dish.

            But even without the tarragon and with the cheap wine, this dish was pretty delicious. The sauce is thick and creamy and I mixed the quinoa right in, as well as a bit of grated parmesan. It was absolutely delectable and incredibly filling (thanks quinoa!). I made the sauce with the highest recommended amount of flour for maximum thickness, but I’m sure it would be good either way. I cooked the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of just water, so there was some extra flavor there as well.

            One thing I will say about this dish is that it is not pretty. The sauce is very brown, even with the asparagus. I tried to make mine more interesting with red quinoa, but it didn’t really work. It’s basically just a pile of stuff, hence no picture. Though I guess if you served the pasta and sauce separately it might look a little nicer.  I also typically don’t make a full meal with like sides, bread, and salad. I just put everything in the same bowl and eat it that way. So I get zero presentation points, always. I’m sure there are ways to pretty it up, but I am less than interested in that.

            I like this dish though because even though it takes a while to cook, it’s really delicious and simple. The taste is what truly matters! With the protein in quinoa, it makes a complete and hearty dish. That’s 16 out of 241!