Mushroom and leek quinoa ‘risotto’

40 MINUTES + COOLING | SERVES 4 | EASY |

olive oil 2½ tsp

baby leeks 6 (about 260g), 2 finely chopped, 4 left whole

chestnut mushrooms 300g, sliced

thyme 2 tsp of leaves, plus extra to serve

garlic 2 cloves, finely grated

quinoa 240g, rinsed

white wine vinegar 50ml

hot vegetable stock 750ml (using 1 stock cube), hot

pecorino 40g, half finely grated, half shaved

lemon 1, zested, plus wedges to serve

1 Heat 1½ tsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the finely chopped leeks for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add a splash of water if the leeks start to catch.

2 Add the mushrooms, thyme and a pinch of salt, and fry for 6-7 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Stir in the quinoa and cook for a further minute.

3 Turn up the heat, add the vinegar and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until evaporated. Add the stock in four stages, adding more once absorbed. Simmer over a low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is soft but retains some bite.

4 Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil. Trim the tops and ends from the remaining leeks and add to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then immediately drain, dry off using a clean tea towel and set aside to cool slightly.

5 Put a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Halve the whole leeks lengthways and toss in the remaining 1 tsp of oil, and season. Tip into the griddle and sear for 1-2 minutes until char marks appear. Using tongs, turn them over and griddle for a further minute. Transfer them to a plate.

6 Stir the grated pecorino and lemon zest into the quinoa, seasoning to taste. Divide between four shallow bowls and top with the leeks. Scatter over the reserved thyme leaves and shaved pecorino, and serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over.

PER SERVING 285 kcals | fat 8.4G saturates 2.4G | carbs 34.3G | sugars 5.2G fibre 7G | protein 14.4G | salt 1.1G