Balsamic Mushroom Quinoa

• 1/2 cup raw quinoa, well rinsed and drained
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups mushrooms, roughly diced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 dash pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup dried figs
• 3 tablespoons pinenuts, toasted

1. Place the water, quinoa and 1/4 tsp of the salt together in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, add olive oil and mushrooms to a saute pan on medium high heat. Add 1/4 tsp of the salt and pepper to the mushrooms and saute until they are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and cook for another 5 minute.
3. Turn off the heat on the saute pan. Add the figs to the saute pan and then add in the balsamic vinegar. Stir the mushroom fig mixture and let the residual heat from the pan reduce the balsamic vinegar. (Be careful not to inhale the vinegar while it is evaporating) Add the remaining 1/4 tsp salt to the mixture and stir to combine.
4. Combine the mushroom mixture and the quinoa. Add toasted pinenuts and stir to combine all the ingredients.

quinoa, water, olive oil, mushrooms, salt, pepper, garlic, shallot, balsamic vinegar, dried figs, pinenuts

Taken from food52.com/recipes/11211-balsamic-mushroom-quinoa (may not work)