Vegan Recipe: Vegetable Quinoa w/ Lime Peanut Sauce

2 cups veggie broth

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-in slices

1-2 carrots, cut in 1-in lengths

1 medium turnip, cut in 1/2-in cubes

1/2 red bell pepper

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

15-oz can chickpeas

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, heat veggie broth to a boil.  Add all vegetables, reduce heat, and simmer 3 mins.  Add quinoa, cover and simmer until broth is absorbed, about 15 mina.

Make Lime Peanut Sauce.  

Stir chicpeas and spices into quinoa mixture.  Let sit a few minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.  Top with Lime Peanut Sauce.

Lime Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup water

Juice of a lime

Few tbsp olive oil (or sesame oil)

2 heaping tsps peanut butter (or tahini)

1 tsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh basil (or other herb)

Whisk together water and lime juice.  Whisk in both oils and peanut butter or tahini.  Add soy sauce and garlic; mix well.  Add herbs.  Season w/ salt and pepper.

THis sounds sooo good.  got to try this.  I am going to tag it and try later. mmmmmmm

have you calculated the calories?

love, karen

no i haven't - i just started a no-calorie counting kick.  it seems to be multi-monthly.  i'll go a few months counting cals religiously.  then i feel like it's too controlling and i need to learn to eat w/o counting everything just to see if i can maintain.  i went back into no cal-counting a few days ago.  seriously, three weeks ago, i would have been able to tell you everything =).

but i did make this for dinner tonight, first time, and it was DELICIOUS!  the original sauce recipe was for tahini, but i didn't want to buy a whole jar, cuz then the remaining 1 1/2 cups sits in my fridge forever (or my husband gradually eats it like peanut butter).  it was just as delicious w/ a little sesame oil and crunchy natural peanut butter!

mm this sounds really good. gotta try it some time!

I put the Lime Peanut Sauce in the recipe analyzer and saved it there.  I had to make some more definite measurements than "two heaping tsp" to get a calorie count, but its about 360 for all of the sauce.

Just as a side note, I LOVE to toast whole grains before I simmer them; it adds so much flavor. Just saute the quinoa with some oil at the bottom of your pan until you hear 'popping' sounds, THEN add whatever broth or liquid you're going to cook with and continue on your merry quinoa-making way!

Just a suggestion!

Another trick, add a swirl of red wine vinagre when the quinoa is done; it brings out all the toasty grainy flavours.