You could make a meal of this dish: caramelized zucchini, crunchy almonds, salty cheese and hearty quinoa, all dressed in honey-basil vinaigrette. The recipe comes from Little Eater, in Columbus, Ohio.

Source: Midwest Living

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Recipe Summary

hands-on:
30 mins
total:
2 hrs
Servings:
8
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Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring 2 1/2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, about 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool completely.

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  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss zucchini with olive oil, cumin, red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread zucchini in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. (Don't wash bowl.) Roast until zucchini is tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

  • Transfer quinoa to the large bowl and toss with 1/3 cup Basil Vinaigrette. Stir in the zucchini, almonds and green onions. Season with black pepper and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gently toss with the feta cheese, if using, and the fresh basil. Pass remaining vinaigrette.

*Basil Vinaigrette

In a blender, combine 1/4 cup fresh basil; 2 tablespoons white balsamic, white wine or champagne vinegar; 1 tablespoon honey; and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Pulse blender until mixture is smooth and basil is evenly chopped. With the blender running on low speed, drizzle in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; increase speed to medium and blend until emulsified.

Nutrition Facts

249 calories; fat 15g; saturated fat 2g; carbohydrates 24g; mono fat 9g; poly fat 3g; insoluble fiber 4g; sugars 5g; protein 7g; vitamin a 412.6IU; vitamin c 21.5mg; thiamin 0.2mg; riboflavin 0.3mg; niacin equivalents 1.2mg; vitamin b6 0.3mg; folate 83.4mcg; sodium 249mg; potassium 519mg; calcium 59mg; iron 2.3mg.
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