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Y’all know I love quinoa. I have sung its praises before and I’ll most likely do it again. Last night I was craving some and scoured a few cookbooks to find a recipe that I hadn’t tried before. I found this one in Vive le Vegan! that looked delicious and that incorporated quinoa into the recipe instead of using it as a rice-like base. I adapted the recipe a bit because of what I had on hand (hers called for fennel and red peppers), and was pretty pleased with the result.

I used squash and zucchini (actually it was a cucumber, I didn’t even realize that until I’d already tossed it with the other veggies, I was out of it, but I’d recommend a zucchini) and Kalamata olives which were sooo good. I think if I made this again I would use portobello mushrooms in it. I’d also not roast the veggies as long because they got a little more shriveled than I liked.

I’m trying to find dishes that Jimmy likes that I can have in my repertoire, and since his description of everything, “it’s alright” is a little hard to gauge, I came up with the Picky Omnivore Rating Scale. It goes something like this.

1 - inedible, never make this again
2 - meh. make it next summer
3 - okay. make it once a month
4 - pretty good. make it every few weeks
5 - love it. I will eat this at least once a week

This dish was rated as a 3, if mushrooms were added and the hummus was less tangy (and if I had used a zucchini instead of a cucumber, doh!) it would have been upgraded to a 4 I think. I personally loved it, but then again I’m a quinoa and hummus fiend.

Vicki’s Hummus-Quinoa Casserole
adapted from Vive le Vegan!
serves 4-6
this recipe is a 3 out of 5 on the Picky Omnivore Rating Scale

2 summer squash sliced into thin rounds
1 zucchini sliced into thin rounds
1 cup green beans (ends cut off)
8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
pinch sea salt, pepper to taste
2 1/2 - 3 c cooked quinoa
2 cups hummus
3-4 tbsp fresh parsley, basil or coriander

1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl toss the veggies with the oil, vinegar and s&p. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden in spots.
2. Remove and begin to assemble your casserole. Reset oven to 375. In a lightly oiled 8x12 baking dish, spread the cooked quinoa evenly and press down gently. Drop spoonfuls of the hummus over the quinoa, then lightly spread to distribute evenly.
3. Distribute the roasted veggies over the hummus and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired.

To make this quantity of cooked quinoa, mix 1 cup rinsed quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 13-15 minutes, til water is absorbed.

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