Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Romano and cream cheese along with fresh vegetables blend to make this a delicious cream-of-the-crop recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) uncooked quinoa
3 cups (750 mL) chicken broth
2 oz (62.5 g) brick-style cream cheese (1/2 brick) or 1/4 cup (50 mL) spreadable cream cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil leaves
2 tsp (10 mL) butter or margarine
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 cups (1.25 L) thinly sliced or bite-size pieces assorted vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, carrot or zucchini
2 tbsp (30 mL) grated Romano cheese

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1

Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. Heat quinoa and broth to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until all broth is absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and basil; cover and remove from heat.
2

Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3

Toss vegetables and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Quinoa is a tiny, pearl-shaped, ivory-coloured grain that expands to four times its size when cooked. It's rich in nutrients, and unlike other grains, it's a complete protein.
It's important to rinse quinoa really well before using it to remove a bitter-tasting and naturally occurring saponin (nature's insect repellent) that forms on the outside of the kernel.