Quinoa and Veg Bowl
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
I really like the combination of roasted veg with quinoa so we eat it a lot, but this is a much more simplified salad and has the added protein of eggs. This dish could easily be served as a breakfast, lunch or dinner. But maybe tone down the tahini dressing if you are planning on eating it for breakfast
Leftovers
There are ample leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch, so it’s the same salad as dinner.
Anything Goes
When it comes to quinoa and roast veg anything goes, so why not throw in any spare vegetables that have been hanging around in your veggie drawer - even if you think they are a touch old, they will be alright roasted.
What you'll need
1 cup of quinoa
1 large eggplant
1/2 bunch kale
4 carrots
4 eggs
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
From the Pantry
2 dessert spoons tahini
1 lemon
olive oil
sea salt flakes
cracked pepper
Feeding Four
Bulk this up a little and use the whole bunch of kale and I have added an extra eggplant to the shopping list.
Prep and Cook
Preheat Oven to 180c
Cook Quinoa
Wash the quinoa in a sieve under cold running water.
Transfer to a medium sized pot and add two cups of water. Bring up to the boil and continue to boil until the water has almost all gone and the quinoa has bubble holes coming out.
Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Leave to steam.
Roast Veg
Cut the stalk ends off the carrots and then slice into bite sized chunks. I went in half lengthways, then in half lengthways again, then into squares.
Toss with oil and salt and pepper and spread out across half a baking tray that has been lined with paper.
Cut the eggplant in half then slice into semi circles and toss liberally in oil and salt and pepper and spread across the rest of your tray.
Perfect Eggs
Everyone has their own preference to the degree they like their eggs cooked, but in order to get the outside to peel perfectly it is important that you place them into boiling water not start them in cold and you must remove them from the pot and plunge into ice cold water.
Roast in the oven for 20 mins.
Wash and remove the stalks from the kale. Roughly chop and toss in the bowl that you had the eggplant in (there is probably enough residual oil left over in the bowl to lightly coat the kale.
Season well then layout on an oven tray lined with paper and roast for 5 minutes.
Boil Eggs
Bring a small pot of water up to the boil.
Use a slotted spoon to very gently place your eggs in the pot of boiling water and boil for 6 minutes for a semi hard egg, 4 minutes if you want them runny.
Remove from the pot and plunge the eggs into a bowl of ice cold water.
Peel once cool.
Make Dressing
Mix the tahini and lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of warm water.
Add fresh cracked pepper.
Toast Seeds
Heat a small frypan with just a small touch of oil. Add the seeds and work them with a spatula until they begin to turn a light golden colour.
Remove from heat.
Plate it Pretty
Once your veg has finished roasting, remove the lid from the quinoa and fluff with a fork.
Sprinkle with some sea salt flakes and spoon into the quinoa into the base of your serving bowls.
Take a large handful of kale and sprinkle over the quinoa then scatter with some eggplant and some carrot.
Drizzle over with the dressing and top with two half pieces of cooked egg and a scattering of toasted seeds.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
This perfect leftovers meal travels really well and you can even add the dressing the night before.