Quinoa Primavara

ngredients
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced or bite sized pieces assorted uncooked vegetables
3 tablespoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions
Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. Bring quinoa and broth to boil in a 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. While quinoa is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter for about one minute, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir cream cheese and basil into cooked quinoa. Toss vegetables with quinoa mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Let's Dish
If you've never tried quinoa, you really should. I'm always looking for new quinoa recipes, and this is one of my favorites. Technically, quinoa is not a grain, but it does remind me of cous cous. The great thing about quinoa, as opposed to other grains, is that it's very high in protein. It's also gluten-free. You can use any kind of vegetables in this dish. I like onion, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, and I'll add peppers sometimes too. I just give all the veggies a coarse shop in my food processor, but you could even throw in a mix of frozen veggies to save time. Although I'd typically serve this as a side dish, I'll happily eat it as a meal on it's own.