Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa

Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your bellies...ha. Hi, guys. It's been a while since I've been here, and I'm very sorry about that! It's not that I haven't been cooking; but like usual, it's about finding the time to get recipes to you guys!

There have been two kitchen developments as of late--inconsequential in real life, but relevant in foodie life. First: I bought a Mac and Cheese Cookbook! I've never made homemade macaroni and cheese from scratch, and this cookbook  contains TONS of recipes. I'm very excited to start learning...so be on the lookout!

Second: I bought a pork butt roast this week and SUCCESSFULLY (for the first time in my life) made pork carnitas (shredded pork) in my new crock pot! This second development just thrills me, because in the past, I haven't been able to achieve the juicy, fork-tender shredded pork that I love so much. The results I was looking for always eluded me! Not this time, though! I was victorious!! So again, be on the lookout for a tasty carnitas recipe, likely coming this week : )

Okay. So I had today's recipe for lunch, though it's more of a side dish. It's SO easy. SO tasty. SO healthy. Those are our favorite things, right? It contains superfood Quinoa, which is basically a healthy eater's dream, because it's packed full of protein, fiber, and it's low in calories! This flavorful dish is gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and so, so, so good for you!

The quinoa and mushrooms are filling and full of protein, so you don't miss meat here. It's also colorful, thanks to the bright green, nutrient-packed spinach and savory green onions--and it's so easy to just dig in to this guilt-free dish, slightly adapted from Julia's Album. Enough talking already!

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound mushrooms (I used cremini), sliced thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 5 to 10 ounces fresh spinach (to taste)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• Salt and crushed red pepper (to taste)

Directions: 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until mushrooms get soft and reach a lovely golden-brown color. Add chopped green onions and mix; season with salt to taste.

Add fresh spinach to the skillet, reduce heat to low, cover the skillet with the lid and let mushrooms and spinach cook for about 1 minute or less, just until spinach begins to wilt. Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa to the skillet and cook on low heat for another minute until spinach wilts. Season with a little more salt and crushed red pepper for more heat.

Nutrition Facts-- Servings: 4 • Size: 1 cup quinoa  • Calories: 415 • Fat: 12.7 g • Cholesterol: 0 mg • Carbs: 61.7 g • Fiber: 8.4 g  • Protein: 17.1 g • Sugars: 2.5 g