Roasted Vegetables and Feta Quinoa Bowl
Roasted Vegetables and Feta Quinoa Bowl
I hosted my daughter and her boyfriend for lunch today and wanted to make something they both would love. She is a registered nurse and he is a firefighter, are both very physically fit and eat super healthy, focusing on whole, unprocessed foods. There’s nothing better than roasted vegetables. Roasting brings out such wonderful flavors. I am so partial to butternut squash and take advantage of Costco’s pre-cut packages which I throw in the freezer if I’m not going to use them right away. I place the frozen chunks on my baking sheet, toss them with olive oil and sprinkle Herbes de Provence and salt over top. They roast beautifully at 450 degrees F. for about 15-20 minutes. Admittedly they are more moist and tender when roasted from a frozen state; they taste delicious.
On a different pan I roasted edamame, chopped red bell peppers and sliced red onion which was helpful since they take less time to roast. While the vegetables are roasting I cooked the quinoa in my rice cooker with some chicken broth, which makes perfectly fluffy quinoa every time. The feta cheese adds just enough salty flavor along with a punch of protein to complete the meal. Eat this warm or cold, it doesn’t really matter at all. Roast whatever you have on hand as each season brings its own array of unique vegetables. Although most vegetables are available year-round, like mushrooms, onions, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower other vegetables are more available in their respective seasons.
Winter – butternut squash, cabbage, kale. Spring – asparagus, artichoke, new potatoes, peas, radish. Summer – zucchini, green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, beets, eggplant. Fall – corn, acorn and butternut squash, brussel sprouts, parsnips.
- Roasted Vegetables and Feta Quinoa Bowl
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed small (about 2-3 cups. I buy pre-cut cubes at Costco or Albertsons)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cubed
- 1 cup edamame, shelled
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I use Better Than Bouillon chicken base)
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Arrange squash on a shallow baking sheet covered with parchment paper or Silpat. Arrange bell pepper, edamame and red onion on a different baking sheet covered with parchment paper or Silpat. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of the olive oil over all the vegetables and sprinkle with Herbes de Provence seasoning and salt. Toss to coat.
- Bake at 450 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes or until the bell peppers are browned and toasted. Remove the bell pepper baking sheet from oven and allow to cool. Toss butternut squash and continue to roast another 5-10 minutes or until browned and toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine rinsed quinoa and chicken stock in container of a medium rice cooker. Cover and set to COOK. When the cooker is done, remove the covered container and allow to cool. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
- Arrange quinoa on a serving platter. Spoon roasted vegetables on top. Add feta cheese and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and oregano. Season with sea salt and black pepper as needed to taste.
You might also enjoy:
Roasted Butternut Squash and Black Bean Quesadillas
Roasted Sweet Potato, Tofu and Quinoa Wrap
Roasted Root Vegetable Soup with Parmesan Cheese Croutons
