2) Quinoa with Curried Vegetables (Dinner in a Curry)

I) Got home around 6:30 today after class, didn't feel like going to the grocery store, so I scrounged up something with stuff I had laying around since I wanted food NOW. No background on the dish other than that a) I like eggplants and zucchini and b) quinoa is really healthy, and fast to make.


II) Quinoa with Curried Vegetables

Materials:

For the Vegetables:

• 2 Japanese Eggplants, diced (They're the thinner variety, and are a little less bitter than Italian eggplants)
• 2 medium Zucchini (or one large one), diced
  
• Two tablespoons curry powder
• One tablespoon garlic powder
• One tablespoon smoked paprika
• Salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste

For the Quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa
• tablespoon curry powder
• 3 cup chicken broth
• pinenuts

Procedure

1. Bring all the ingredients for the quinoa (except the pinenuts) to a simmer, cover and cook until tender. Set aside.
2. In a hot pan, add a layer of canola oil and stir-fry the vegetables. Add in the rest of the seasonings except the lemon juice. Cook until they are soft, but with some bite. Add the lemon juice once everything is done cooking.
   
3. Place a serving of quinoa on a plate and put the vegetables on top. Garnish with pinenuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
   Serves 2-4 (depending on how hungry you are...)

III) Results and Discussion
This dinner is a perfect vegetarian dish on a busy night. The pantry spices are really whats makes the dish interesting. Also cooking the quinoa in chicken broth helps to up the flavor too. A few fresh ingredients, like the lemon and parsley, help to make the dish bright. Pinenuts also add a nice texture contrast. Finishing with some extra virgin olive oil lends some richness and healthy fats to this vegetarian dish. Next time I'd like to try this dish cold, perhaps a cucumber, fennel, tomato salad and a yogurt sauce.

IV) Source: None


V) Pictures!