I decided I should try (yet again) to tempt the girls into eating more whole grains and vegetables.  Ha! you might say, well 3 out of 4 of them actually liked this.  To be honest I didn't think for a moment the 4th would even try it (she only eats chicken).  I was intending to use brown rice but as I put the water on to boil I discovered the cupboard was bare. This usually happens when I'm looking for chocolate chips - not rice! so I used quinoa instead which worked out wonderfully. 

1 1/2 cups quinoa

Canola oil

1 packet shiitake mushrooms

1 onion

2 sticks celery

Salt and pepper

1/4 - 1/2 cup Mirin (Japanese cooking wine)

A good couple of shakes of soy sauce

1 medium packet snow peas

Lime juice (optional)

Heat the oil in a good sized saucepan or Dutch oven.  Add the onions and celery, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until soft and just turning golden.

Meanwhile in another pan, heat the water for the quinoa.  I use 3 cups of water for 1 1/2 cups of quinoa and that makes a whopping amount that keeps us going for a couple of days.

When the water has come to the boil, add the quinoa, put the lid on the pan and turn down the heat.  The quinoa will be cooked in  about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

When the onions and celery are golden, add the mushrooms, stir well.  Add the mirin and soy sauce.  Let it bubble away for a few minutes.

Add the snow peas.  Stir to combine.

Put the lid on the pan and steam them until cooked.  This won't take long  about 3-4 minutes.

Just wanted to show off my VERY favorite piece of kitchen equipment which I got for Christmas last year - I call it my sunshine pot :)

When the snow peas are bright green, take off the heat.  When the quinoa is cooked, fluff it with a fork and transfer it to the mushroom mixture.  

Check the seasonings, add a squeeze of lime if you like. This is super as a side to roast chicken.