Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 1⁄2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 baby eggplants, cut lengthwise into quarters
• 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp (10 mL) grape seed oil
• 1 cup (250 mL) cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1⁄4 cups tomato juice
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)
• Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water
• Place in a saucepan with the thyme sprigs and broth, and bring to a boil
• Cover and simmer gently until all the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a ridged grill pan
• Brush the eggplant, red pepper and onion with the grape seed oil, then cook them on the grill pan until softened and lightly charred, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Put the whole tomatoes on the grill pan and cook until they are just beginning to burst their skins, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• When the quinoa is cooked, place it in an ovenproof dish
• Add the grilled vegetables, garlic and tomato juice, and season lightly with salt and pepper
• Mix together gently.
• Cover with foil and bake until the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Prep time and Cook Time: 60 min

Serves: 4

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