Roasted Chickpeas and Quinoa Veggie Bowl
By: Joyce
Published: Wednesday, April 1, 2015 - 8:57pm

Ingredients




⅓ cup raw chickpeas
2 cups water
2 tbs canola oil
1 cup cooked quinoa
6 oz cherry tomatoes
2 tbs chopped fresh dill
1 large zucchini squash, halved (approximately 10 oz)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp thyme
5 anise seeds
1 tbs lemon juice

Preparation

1 Soak the raw chickpeas in 2 cups of water for at least 6 hours. Drain and rinse well. Lay the chickpeas on paper towel and pat dry with kitchen towel or paper towel. 2 Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Transfer the chickpea into a baking dish. Add 1 tbs canola oil to the baking dish and mix with chickpeas until they are evenly coated with oil. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the chickpeas are golden brown. Let them cool in the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them into a container. 3 In a mini grinder, grind and mix the salt and all the spices. Sprinkle ¼ tsp of the spices and salt mixture over the roasted chickpeas. Set aside. 4 While the chickpeas are roasting in the oven, cook quinoa by following package instructions. Approximately 15 minutes. 5 Heat a sauté pan over high heat until it is hot. Lay the zucchini in the sauté pan with skin side up. Keep the stove at medium and cover the sauté pan with a lid. Cook for 8 minutes or check more often to make sure the zucchini fleshy side is brown. Let the zucchini cool slightly and then slice into half-moons. 6 Use the same sauté pan over high heat until it is hot. Add 1 tsp canola oil and wait for 15 seconds before adding the cherry tomatoes. Stir continuously for 15 seconds and then add dill (save 1 tsp dill for garnishing). Sauté for another 15 seconds. Set aside. 7 In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, zucchini squash, cherry tomatoes, and dill. Add the remaining canola oil, salt and spices mixture, and lemon juice. Toss gently. 8 Add roasted chickpeas before serving and toss gently again. Garnish with fresh dill. Serve warm or cold.

About

Quinoa and chickpeas give two different nutty flavors that come together adding interest and activity in the mouth. Adding some fresh dill sautéed cherry tomato and zucchini squash make this lunch absolutely elegant and irresistible.