Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

March 22, 2014

Last week I roasted a slew of vegetables. I’ve been trying to get into the habit of roasting more than we need for the meal I am preparing so then I can have a heap of roasted vegetables in the fridge that are all ready for a reincarnation. Even I have a hard time some nights coming home and preparing dinner from scratch. After cooking all day for clients, there are evenings when a few fistfuls of popcorn or a bowl of cereal sound heavenly. Alas, not the best dinner. So, recently I have been playing around with different ways of helping cut my prep down during the week. Lots of weekend planning and preparation are key as well as cooking extra of the basics to have on hand when I just want to throw something together. And that is exactly what this meal is about that I am presenting to you today!

I had prepped a dinner one night with a side of roasted vegetables. And following in my latest time saving habit, I roasted off way more than I needed. This time my vegetables of choice were romanesco cauliflower, butternut squash, heirloom carrots and fingerling potatoes. So, the next night when it was time for dinner I opened the fridge door and found this combination: extra roasted vegetables, harissa cashew cream, extra steamed quinoa, eggs, chive, chopped kale.

I seriously felt like a genius. Or someone who had a sous chef who had prepped all these gorgeous things that day for me to just whisk into the kitchen and assemble my dinner simply, as if on the Food Network. It was glorious. I set about to make a middle eastern inspired quinoa bowl with all those ingredients, finishing off with a hefty drizzle of my harissa cashew cream (that I now keep every week in my fridge!). And below is a result of my kitchen concocting for that day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It was nourishing, comforting and most importantly simple to put together!

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian

Serves 4

· ¼ c. harissa cashew cream (*recipe here)

· loads of leftover roasted vegetables (about a single layer on a baking sheet)

· 1 T. ground cumin

· 2 c. cooked quinoa (I prefer sprouted and tri-colored)

· 1 c. finely sliced lacinato kale

· 2 cloves garlic, minced

· zest and juice from 1 lemon

· 8 eggs, whisked gently

· ¼ c. sliced green onions, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Thin the cashew cream slightly with some warm water, set to the side.

3. Line a sheet with parchment paper and add the vegetables. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with the ground cumin. Place in oven to warm for 15-18 minutes or until heated through.

4. In the meantime, warm a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a swirl of olive oil and pop in the quinoa, lacinato kale and the minced garlic. Saute for 5-6 minutes until warmed through. Remove to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

5. In the same pan, add another light swirl of olive oil and the whisked eggs. Gently push around with a spatula until they are justcooked.

6. Now assemble your bowl! Quinoa and kale + scoop of roasted vegetables + ¼ of the cooked eggs + a nice drizzle of the cashew cream. Top with sliced green onions for garnish.

happy, healthy eating! ~kendra