I was abit late to the quinoa craze after being heavily deterred from a failed recipe. I don’t think I rinsed it well enough and all I remember tasting is a weird, earthy, bitter taste. Then I went and overseasoned it with spices I’m not familiar with…bleh! Still impressed with the health of it, I wanted to try it again but was so scared of wasting money on a food I hated. Then I had a delicious quinoa salad at a vegetarian place here in Waterloo and faith was restored!
I love roasted veggies alot, and figured they’d go well with some quinoa and hummus. Boy was that an underestimation…this was delicious!! I was truly in shock when I devoured tasted it. I made it for my mom who also loved it, and have had it about 3 times in the past week 🙂 No shame!
Ingredients
- 2 small/medium sweet potatoes, organic if you can
- 1 medium/large eggplant, firm and shiny
- 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 bell pepper (I used red but any works)
- 2 medium zucchini
- few drizzles of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup of quinoa
- dollop of hummus
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- smoked paprika and lemon pepper salt (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Start by cutting up the sweet potatoes into small 1″ cubes. Leave the skin on if organic but I would peel if conventional. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper until lightly coated and place on baking sheet. Let bake for 35-40 minutes or until tender.
- Wash the pepper and lightly rub with olive oil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until skin is wrinkled.
- Meanwhile slice the eggplant into thin strips, about 1 cm thick. Slice the strips into smaller rectangles and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar and place on baking sheet. Let bake for about 30 minutes until tender.
- Slice the zucchini into 1 cm thick rounds and then slice each in half. Lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
- While the veggies are roasting rinse the quinoa thoroughly using a fine strainer. Add to a pot with 2/3 cup of water, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is light and fluffy.
- When everything is ready, assemble your plate with all of the goodies, topping with hummus and avocado, as well as any seasonings/spices your heart desires.
Best served warm from the oven, with plenty of toppings!
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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