Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

Small knob of butter

250g Mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 medium sized Onion, finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves, crushed

200g Quinoa, rinsed, drained

250ml Vegetable Stock

160ml Water

300g Broccoli, cut into small florets

150g peeled roasted Red Pepper sliced

Large handful of chopped fresh Flat Leaved Parsley

60g Feta, drained, crumbled or a fresh Goats Cheese

Lemon zest, to serve

Broadly speaking, the above list works beautifully, but feel free to add your own home grown vegetables as the seasons progress! Quinoa is high in protein and rich in vitamins B, B6, iron, magnesium and zinc, in fact a whole host of really good nutritionally important dietary minerals.

This dish is a fabulous super dish on its own or served with lightly steamed chicken, pork or fish.

Heat half the oil and all of the butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat, add the mushrooms, sweating them gently until tender and transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil and onion to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in garlic for 1 minute or until aromatic.

To the onion and garlic add the quinoa, vegetable stock and water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or until water is almost absorbed. Now this may take longer dependent upon the type of Quinoa you are using, red quinoa will take at least twenty minutes.

Stir in broccoli and cook, covered, for a further 2 minutes or until water is absorbed. Be prepared to add a little more liquid dependent upon how you like you broccoli. Remove from heat. Set aside, covered, for 3 minutes to steam.

Stir in the mushrooms and the parsley into the quinoa mixture. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with feta, lemon zest and serve.

Red quinoa will take longer to cook than white quinoa, but both are a great alternative to most of our usual staples.

Using the basics of this recipe you can adapt it to match what is seasonally available from your allotment.  Some variations which have worked in our house are roast squash and sweet potato, roasted red peppers and tomatoes, griddled courgettes and aubergine and a winter favourite using cavello nero, pine nuts and foraged mushrooms.  Feel free to adapt the cheese to your own taste, but the possibilities are endless – enjoy!