January being a time of new beginnings, it’s not surprising I’ve heard from readers and friends searching for the healthy recipes they once saved but now lost : ) I told them what I’m telling you: Keep it simple and feel free to experiment! Some of my favorite daily put-togethers are salads that combine the varied textures and tastes of hot & cold ingredients, and, that don’t weigh you down with too much meat or fat. Which brings me to this bowl. A mix of peppery baby arugula, with the mellow smoothness of oven roast potato, onion and garlic, and crisp-oven “fried” brussels sprout petals on top, this dish also stars red quinoa which is gluten-free, and the only plant-based protein to have all nine essential amino acids. Pulling it all together? A drizzle of paprika-spiked tahini-lemon dressing. This bowl works very well at lunch. To make that easy-doable, prepare the quinoa & roasted veg the night before and then microwave quick-heat those ingredients when you toss the salad together next day.
- Quinoa Roast Potato & Caramelized Onion Bowl Ingredients
- ¼ cup red quinoa (cooks up to make 2/3 cup cooked)
- 2 small Idaho® potatoes, cut into rounds
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion, cored, peeled and slivered
- 1 head garlic, top ¼ inch sliced off to expose the cloves
- 1 cup brussels sprouts (about 10) bottoms discarded
- 1, 4-ounce package baby arugula
- 1 fennel bulb, for garnish
- Tahini Lemon Dressing Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- Juice from one fresh lemon
- 1/3 cup water
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and fresh-cracked pepper to taste
- Combine ¼ cup quinoa with ½ cup water in a rice cooker or over stove top. Simmer over low heat about 10 minutes until quinoa is tender and has absorbed the water. Set aside.
- Wash and then slice potatoes, skin-on, into 1/8 inch rounds. Spread potato slices on baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle potatoes with 1 Tbsp olive oil; toss to coat. Season with fresh-cracked pepper and salt. Set pan aside. In a small baking dish, sprinkle all of the red onion slivers. Drizzle with ½ Tbsp olive oil. Season with fresh-cracked pepper and salt. Add 1 tablespoon water. Cover baking dish with foil. Set aside. Cut an 8-inch square of aluminum foil. Holding this in your hand, nest the head of garlic in the center of the square, rounding the edges of the foil upward to make a cup, and then add two tablespoons of water. Twist the foil closed to make a packet. Place the foil-wrapped garlic on the oven rack along with the pan of potatoes and the dish of onion. Roast all for ½ hour to 45 minutes until potatoes are tender and golden, the onions are soft and caramelized and the garlic is soft.
- While the vegetables are roasting, separate and pull the petals from all of the brussels sprouts into a bowl, discarding the cores and center nubs of the sprouts. You will have 2 cups of petals (These shrink quite a bit as they roast and crisp). Toss petals with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on small baking sheet. Set aside.
- Make dressing: Whisk tahini with lemon juice—it will thicken. Add water and continue whisking until smooth and pourable. Add smoked paprika, salt and pepper and adjust seasoning to taste. Mix 2 tablespoons of the dressing with the reserved cooked quinoa. Set seasoned quinoa aside. Reserve remaining dressing.
- When the vegetables are finished roasting, remove all from the oven. Squeeze the garlic from the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Mix the garlic and onion with the roasted potato. Set aside. Increase oven heat to 425°F. Place the brussels sprouts petals in the oven and oven roast for about five minutes until the petals are brown on the edges and crispy. Remove from oven.
- To assemble the quinoa potato bowls: Place 1 cup of arugula in each of two bowls. Sprinkle with the seasoned quinoa. Add more arugula. Spoon the roasted potato/garlic/onion mixture in dollops over the greens. Top with crispy brussels sprouts petals. Garnish with paper-thin slices of fennel. Drizzle with more of the tahini dressing. Serve with crisp flatbread, if desired.
- If you are making the roast vegetables the day before, just know that the brussels sprout petals won't be as crispy
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