I love this recipe because it literally takes under 30 minutes to make. It’s extremely cheap and it can be made with almost any left over veggies that you have laying around the house.
Oh did I mention it’s healthy and completely vegan as well?!
I add toasted pine nuts to this recipe because it gives this nutty aroma that truly transforms the entire dish. Remember that a large portion of how we taste things is largely due to the smells that we take in along the way. This means that specific aromas can add versatility to a an otherwise ordinary dish.
That is specifically why I love to add toasted nuts and fresh herbs to my simple veggie dishes. This aromatic practice is something all vegans and vegetarians should be conscious about when preparing dishes.
Feeds 2 people as main dish and 3 people as side dish.
Ingredients:
1 packet Garlic quinoa
1 clove garlic
Sliced veggies
- I used : 1/2 of a zucchini
1/2 of a yellow squash
1/3 of a small purple onion
Cherry tomatoes halved
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Fresh basil
1/3 cup raw pine nuts.
Directions:
In a non stick pan over medium heat toast the pine nuts until they are fragrant and slightly darkened in color.
Set pine nuts aside.
Slice garlic into thin slices. Add to the same pan that you used for the pine nuts with 1 Tbs of olive oil. Once you can smell the garlic add the rest of your other sliced veggies.
While those are cooking heat your garlic quinoa. (The brand that I buy has options for microwaveable packets. If you aren’t using one of these packets you’ll need to start cooking your quinoa before you begin your veggies. Prepare according to directions on the box) Heavily salt your veggies as they are cooking. Add black pepper until it is fragrant or to taste. (I like a lot of freshly ground pepper)
Combine the quinoa with the veggies.
Take off the stove.
Top with fresh sliced basil. Serve and enjoy!