You may notice an abundance of quinoa recipes over the next little while- sure hope you like quinoa! I went shopping at the local Bulk Barn and may have overdid it with the quinoa purchase ( I spent a small fortune - how on earth did I spend over $70 there???) But I just couldn't resist the different colours that are available. I could easily envision how beautiful the tri-coloured grains would look next to vibrant, tender, fresh vegetables. Plus I just discovered that I've been cooking the grain all wrong these last few years, doubling the cooking time (and maybe using too much water as well???) thus creating something with a consistency close to mush. Edible for sure but not mouthwatering or attractive by any means. So glad that I figured it out so that I could finally really enjoy this versatile and healthy grain.
This recipe is a great way to incorporate my favourite summer vegetables- eggplant, zucchini (I like using the yellow for extra colour), and cherry tomatoes. The addition of basil scores extra bonus points for me- love basil, can put it into anything and doesn't overwhelm the palate. And of course there are the chickpeas - I can pretty much just eat them right out of the can. Not too classy I know, but hey, that's the kind of girl I am. I've included the link for the original recipe that I found, but as per usual I changed a few things to suit me better. I would double the amount of cumin the next time as I really didn't taste it at all ( 1tsp seems small for how much this makes.) Drizzling balsamic vinegar over the end product was tasty, but you could also drizzle a bit of lime juice for a bit of tartness/acidity. Feel free to go all out and change up what vegetables you use : peppers, or mushrooms would also be a great addition. That's the beauty of a simple recipe like this, you can make it into several different meals just by making a few small changes. Bonus: it tastes even better the next day for lunch and I can't wait to eat it again tomorrow- a sure sign of a successful recipe.
Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Eggplant, Zucchini and Feta
See original recipe here: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/32367/quinoa+salad+with+chickpeas+roasted+eggplant+and+feta#comments
1 eggplant, cubed
2 shallots, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove crushed (or 1-2 tbsps of garlic in oil)
1 tsp ground cumin (next time I'll double this amount)
1 cup of tricoloured quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups of water
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 to 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese (grated parmesan cheese would also be lovely)
balsamic vinegar, to drizzle
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the diced eggplant and zucchini in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add veggies to baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Flip veggies and add cherry tomatoes to the roast. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender and golden.
Add olive oil to a medium saucepan and heat to medium. Stir in the garlic and shallots and saute until shallots soften, about 5 minutes or so. Add cumin and heat for about 30 seconds. Add the water and quinoa, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender but not mushy and until the water has absorbed. Place quinoa on plate to cool.
Place the veggies, quinoa, chickpeas, basil and feta in a large bowl and stir together gently. Plate and garnish with balsamic vinegar and basil.
Cheers!
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