Rather than cooking meals in a pan, another great idea is to bake them. The flavours will remain intact rather than escaping from the pan. If you’re using a grain, it’s best to cook it before you put it in the pan. As well, if you’re using root vegetables or other ingredients that take a long time, you can steam them lightly ahead of time.
If you add lots of fresh herbs and spices, it’s not necessary to make a sauce. The flavours from the grains, herbs, vegetables and spices will already bring enough taste to the dish. This is a dairy free dish but it would taste great to add feta or goat cheese on top.
Broccoli Quinoa Bake
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 tbsp olive oil
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
3 green onions (spring onions)
1/3 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 cup chickpeas
1/2 tsp sea salt
Cracked pepper to taste
3 cups quinoa, cooked
Steam the broccoli and cauliflower for about 5 minutes. In the baking dish, add all of the ingredients and stir everything together. Put it in the oven for about 30 minutes at a medium heat so that the ingredients cook and the flavours absorb into each other. If you have other vegetables in your kitchen, add them as well. There is no “right or wrong” way to make this meal. The more vegetables, the better! Enjoy…
