This weekend SPUD brought us scallions, radishes, grape tomatoes, and an eggplant. I decided to dispatch of them before they got sad and floppy in the produce drawer. My mom hates it when we waste food, but all too often, produce is forgotten (or used the same way over and over). Some of my tomatoes also had (finally) ripened, so a plan came together quickly. It may seem like a lot of work, but it only took me about an hour, including the time when I had to run to the store to grab a cucumber.
I decided to make some quinoa tabbouleh with Middle Eastern-inspired eggplant and a yogurt-mint sauce.
To make the quinoa tabbouleh, you will need:
1 c. uncooked quinoa
2 c. of water
1/2-1 t. salt
3-4 scallions, depending on size
1 c. cherry tomatoes
1 English cucumber
2-3 lemons, depending on size
olive oil
grated black pepper
1. Bring the water to boil in a saucepan that will hold at least 4 cups. Add the salt if you wish.
2. Once the water is boiling, add the quinoa. Immediately turn the heat down to medium-low and cover it. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
3. While that's going, prep the vegetables. Slice the scallions (you want a total of about 1/4-1/2 c.), quarter the cucumber lengthwise and slice it (you want about 1 c.), cut the tomatoes in half if they are bigger than bite-size. If you have time, mince a handful of fresh parsley. Toss this into a large bowl.
4. When the timer goes off, check the quinoa. Give it a quick stir. If you can still see water that has not been absorbed, leave it on the burner, uncovered, for another minute or so. Once the water is gone, set the pot aside for a few minutes to let the quinoa cool slightly, stirring now and then. When it's cool enough that you can touch it without scalding yourself, put it into the bowl with the veggies and fold them together. (If you ran out of time before, you can chop and add the parsley now.)
5. Whisk together approximately equal parts fresh lemon juice and olive oil. I wound up using three medium lemons for about 1/3 a c. of juice. I like to put in fresh pepper as well. I didn't need salt, because the quinoa had been salted, but you can adjust seasoning to your liking. Toss the dressing into the salad and taste. You might need more of something. I do hope you don't need less, as it is too late.
For the eggplant:
1 medium eggplant
a couple of lemons
olive oil
tahini
water
cumin, cayenne
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Juice one of the lemons into a bowl.
2. Cut the stem end off of the eggplant and peel it. Cut it into medium cubes, dropping into the bowl of lemon juice and tossing as you go. You might need to add more lemon juice. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil.
3. Spread the eggplant cubes onto the greased cookie sheet, tossing to coat. Put into the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, use a spatula to turn the eggplant cubes. Set the timer for another ten minutes.
4. After about 5 minutes, check the eggplant. Give one of the pieces a stab with a small knife. If it seems crunchy, leave the eggplant in the oven. If it is tender, pull a piece out and give it a taste. When it's done, take it out and leave it to cool slightly.
5. Make the sauce. Squeeze about 1 T. of lemon juice into a bowl. (If you hate dishes, like me, use the one that you already had out for the eggplant.) Add 2 T. of tahini and whisk together. It will be thick and it might seize up, but fear not. It will be fine. Add 1/4 c. of warm water, you want a semi-thick liquid, about the consistency of crepe batter. Season with cayenne and cumin.
6. Put the eggplant into the sauce and toss. That's it!
For the yogurt-mint sauce, I used the last quarter cup of yogurt (use plain, of course), 2 T. of minced fresh mint, and 1 T. of minced Walla Walla onion. Just mix together. It doesn't get much easier than that!
I served it with pita bread and the hummus that was on sale at the store.
No comments:
Post a Comment