Quinoa Broccoli Mushroom Gratin

As a person who rarely finds time to cook elaborate meals, I look for one-pot recipes that are delicious, easy, healthy, and less time consuming. This quinoa broccoli mushroom gratin is my version of the more popular vegetable au gratin. Hope this makes your meal as sumptuous as mine. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients

Quinoa – 1 cup (will boil up to be 2 cups)
Broccoli – 1 (small, cut into medium-sized florets)
Button mushrooms – 7-8 (clean properly with hot water)
Shallot – 1 (chopped, substitute with onion if you can’t find shallots)
Garlic – 4-5 cloves (crushed)
Rosemary – 1 sprig (you can also use dried rosemary if you can’t find the fresh herb)
Sage – 1 tsp (dried)
Salt to taste
Egg – 1 (beaten)
Cheddar cheese – 1 cup (grated)
Parmesan cheese – ½ cup (grated)
Black pepper – 1 tsp (crushed)
Bread crumbs – 1/2 cup
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Water as needed

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a baking deep baking dish with olive oil.

2. Wash the quinoa thoroughly under running water. Heat two cups of water to cook a cup of quinoa. Add salt and the washed quinoa. Allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat till all the water is absorbed. Stir with a fork so the quinoa doesn’t become sticky. Keep it aside.

3. Boil the broccoli florets for 10-15 minutes with a pinch of salt. Drain the water once the broccoli is 80% done.

4. Heat olive oil in a pan and add rosemary and crushed garlic. Sauté for a minute.

5. Add the finely chopped shallots and cook till they turn transparent. Then add in the mushrooms and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the cooked broccoli, salt, sage, and black pepper. Sauté for 5-6 minutes on medium heat.

7. Mix half of the cheddar cheese with the quinoa while it’s hot and allow it to melt.

8. To assemble everything, add a layer of cheesy quinoa at the bottom of the greased pan, then add a layer of mushrooms and broccoli. Add a layer of parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers again. Then add the beaten egg and bread crumbs.

9. Top the pan with rest of the cheddar cheese and make sure you have enough cheese to cover the top.