Quinoa & Roasted Summer Veggies
I don't know about you, but this summer has been hot in Southern Indiana. The past couple of weeks have kept consistent highs around 95 degrees. It's made me really crave fresh ingredients and summer foods, which is what inspired tonight's dish: Quinoa & Roasted Summer Veggies
Stirred into this light and refreshing dish is a homemade Avocado-Cilantro dressing that you'll be feeling whether it's 90 degrees or 30 degrees outside because it's so good!
Today, I want to continue my "Kitchen Essentials" for vegan cooking with what whole grains I like to keep around. So far I have covered my favorite, go-to fruits, vegetables, and spices for cooking. Later this week, I'll tackle protein, and anything else important that needs to be in your kitchen.
So, if you haven't already, check out my Pad See Ew recipe for spices (the best place to start), my Sweet Summer Salad post for my go-to veggies, and my banana chocolate chip cookie recipe for my trusted fruits.
Today will be simple: three whole grains that I always keep around for dinner meals. Other whole grains that I use for things such as breakfast or baking include bread, oats, and popcorn which I make with peanut oil and salt.
Side note: Popcorn (that you pop yourself) is one of the best sources of whole grains, and making it with peanut oil is much healthier than anything you'd get from a bag, which is usually popped in all kinds of butter and "stuff".
Any who, onto that quick list.
1. Brown Rice
Brown rice is an essential component in many of my favorite meals. For one, I am never upset about a stir-fry. For another, one of my all-time favorite recipes ever is my chickpea curry recipe I posted about last week. Additionally, I have used rice for meals (that I plan to post) such as Lebanese stew, Costa Rican gumbo, Cuban rice and beans, and a number of other meals. Brown rice is not only a filling and essential component to many vegan meals, but offers a number of surprising health benefits, such as providing energy, antidepressant properties, and sleep aid.
2. Whole Grain Noodles
For a vegan, nothing beats a simple pasta meal. You can go for the OG tomato sauce, a vegan pesto, an avocado sauce (see my recipe for Avocado Lemon Pasta), or something creamy, using cashews as the base. There are even sauces made from things such as chickpeas and roasted red peppers, making many vegan pastas surprisingly healthy. The options are limitless. And this is just your neighborhood friendly reminder that even though certain diets have demonized carbs, YOU NEED WHOLE GRAINS. So, read up on it and have yourself some guilt-free whole wheat noodles.
3. Quinoa
And, of course, the star of the show tonight. Quinoa is not only a whole grain, but a great source of protein. It makes for great vegan salads, salad toppings, and protein bowls. I have even seen it used as a replacement for noodles in some recipes.
Let's go ahead and put it right to use.
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
What you'll need:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup diced asparagus
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups packed spinach
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, halved
Optional: fresh cilantro to garnish
For Avocado-Cilantro dressing:
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup plain plant milk (I used cashew)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup cilantro (loosely placed in measurer)
Salt and pepper to taste
What you'll do:
Stirred into this light and refreshing dish is a homemade Avocado-Cilantro dressing that you'll be feeling whether it's 90 degrees or 30 degrees outside because it's so good!
Today, I want to continue my "Kitchen Essentials" for vegan cooking with what whole grains I like to keep around. So far I have covered my favorite, go-to fruits, vegetables, and spices for cooking. Later this week, I'll tackle protein, and anything else important that needs to be in your kitchen.
So, if you haven't already, check out my Pad See Ew recipe for spices (the best place to start), my Sweet Summer Salad post for my go-to veggies, and my banana chocolate chip cookie recipe for my trusted fruits.
Today will be simple: three whole grains that I always keep around for dinner meals. Other whole grains that I use for things such as breakfast or baking include bread, oats, and popcorn which I make with peanut oil and salt.
Side note: Popcorn (that you pop yourself) is one of the best sources of whole grains, and making it with peanut oil is much healthier than anything you'd get from a bag, which is usually popped in all kinds of butter and "stuff".
Any who, onto that quick list.
1. Brown Rice
Brown rice is an essential component in many of my favorite meals. For one, I am never upset about a stir-fry. For another, one of my all-time favorite recipes ever is my chickpea curry recipe I posted about last week. Additionally, I have used rice for meals (that I plan to post) such as Lebanese stew, Costa Rican gumbo, Cuban rice and beans, and a number of other meals. Brown rice is not only a filling and essential component to many vegan meals, but offers a number of surprising health benefits, such as providing energy, antidepressant properties, and sleep aid.
2. Whole Grain Noodles
For a vegan, nothing beats a simple pasta meal. You can go for the OG tomato sauce, a vegan pesto, an avocado sauce (see my recipe for Avocado Lemon Pasta), or something creamy, using cashews as the base. There are even sauces made from things such as chickpeas and roasted red peppers, making many vegan pastas surprisingly healthy. The options are limitless. And this is just your neighborhood friendly reminder that even though certain diets have demonized carbs, YOU NEED WHOLE GRAINS. So, read up on it and have yourself some guilt-free whole wheat noodles.
3. Quinoa
And, of course, the star of the show tonight. Quinoa is not only a whole grain, but a great source of protein. It makes for great vegan salads, salad toppings, and protein bowls. I have even seen it used as a replacement for noodles in some recipes.
Let's go ahead and put it right to use.
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
What you'll need:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup diced asparagus
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups packed spinach
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, halved
Optional: fresh cilantro to garnish
For Avocado-Cilantro dressing:
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup plain plant milk (I used cashew)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup cilantro (loosely placed in measurer)
Salt and pepper to taste
 |
| I loved how green my kitchen looked and felt while making this! |
What you'll do:
- In a large pan, cook zucchini and asparagus at a medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste, and feel free to add garlic as well.
- Stir vegetables occasionally, meanwhile combining dressing ingredients into a food processor
- Blend until smooth
- Once asparagus and zucchini start softening/ browning, add spinach. Cook for 3-5 more minutes, or until spinach has wilted.
- Lower heat, and add cooked quinoa to the vegetables.
- Add halved tomatoes; stir together well.
- Stir in desired amount of dressing
- Add fresh cilantro to the top
- Serve and enjoy :)
Pro-tip: leftover are great warm or cold. I decided to get creative and even made a burrito out of mine.
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