Weeknight Dinner

Cucumber and Goat Cheese Toasts
Red Quinoa with Arugula, Roasted Vegetables
and Lemon Pistachio Gremolata



Cucumber and Goat Cheese Toasts
Spread approximately 1 teaspoon of plain goat cheese atop fresh or toasted bread. Top with thinly sliced cucumber and place on a plate or platter. Drizzle over a bit of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Red Quinoa with Arugula, Roasted Vegetables
and Lemon Pistachio Gremolata
This recipe is adapted from my Moroccan Quinoa with Roasted Fall Vegetables. Here I use red quinoa instead of white, which I thought had a more delicate flavor, and toss in a bit of fresh arugula. I also use seasonal summer vegetables and instead of topping off the dish with goat cheese, I make a wonderfully flavorful Lemon Pistachio Gremolata. This tangy, buttery topping is what really makes this simple vegan dish truly flavorful. To be honest, this gremolata is the most successful part of the dish and since making it, a few weeks back, I have being trying to think of what else this nutty topping could grace – maybe atop a goat cheese crostini or maybe tossed into some plain grains …




Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium (white) sweet potato, peeled, diced into 1 inch cubes
4 medium carrots, cut into 1 pieces
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium yellow or crookneck squash, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 cups baby arugula
Gremolata
zest of 1 lemon and juice of half
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch fresh ground pepper
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large roasting pan, toss together the sweet potato, carrot and onion with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for approximately 30 minutes, or until slightly caramelized. Remove the pan from the oven and add the zucchini and crookneck squash. Toss together with the hot veggies, add more oil, if needed, and return to the oven for 18-20 more minutes, or until all of the veggies are slightly caramelized.
Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa well in a fine sieve. In a medium saucepan bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Season the quinoa with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving platter or bowl. Add the baby arugula to the warm quinoa and toss together to wilt the arugula.
To make the gremolata, mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.
When the vegetables are caramelized, remove from the oven, season with a bit more salt. Serve the warm vegetables over the quinoa and top with a bit of the gremolata.