A Tasty Side Dish with Quinoa, Wild Rice and Vegetables

I took what I had in the fridge which was down to the wire and came up with this side dish for some salmon I planned to serve.  I'm sharing it because it was really good! Makes 3-4 servings.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Half of a butternut squash, one Japanese eggplant,
a few peppers (small ones in different colors), a cup
of wild rice and quinoa mix, half a large yellow onion,
parsley, cumin seeds, sea salt and pepper.

STEP ONE:



Cook the quinoa/rice mixture according to directions.
Cut all the vegetables and place in piles on the cutting
board. This makes it much easier to prepare.
If you have very small peppers, keep them whole.

STEP TWO:



Heat 3 T. of grape seed or other high-heat tolerant
oil in a wok or large, deep skillet. Place 1 T. cumin
seeds in oil and allow to sizzle until they start to
lightly brown. Add a T. of butter if desired. I did for
more flavor. Irish butter is divine!

STEP THREE:



Add the squash and eggplant to the wok and cook for
about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

STEP FOUR:



Throw in the onions and peppers and allow to cook
until golden brown and soft, about 6 minutes. The
eggplant might absorb much of the oil, so you may have
to add a little.*

STEP FIVE:



Add the quinoa/rice mixture to the vegetables and
stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

STEP SIX:



Sprinkle chopped parsley and basil on top and serve.

*You can try salting the eggplant and leaving it for
about an hour to "sweat" out excess moisture and
supposedly, a bitter taste. But truth be told, this technique
has never made that much of a difference for me.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

A Tip for Bringing Out the Fresh Flavors of Your Vegetables

As I set up my cutting board with the ingredients for a quick stir-fry with the vegetables I had on hand, I took out a jar of black bean sauce thinking that would bring a good flavor, and I would use it as a finishing touch.  When I started frying up the onions, though, I had another inspiration -- white balsamic vinegar and white pepper.  The vinegar brought out the fresh flavors of the vegetables and it needed nothing else but a little white pepper and sea salt. Using the black bean sauce would have hidden those fresh flavors. Keeping it simple here was the better choice. Hello Spring! Here's the delicious result.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Asparagus, 1/3 white onion, 2 small tomatoes, an
ear of corn, fresh coriander, fresh basil, black bean
sauce that needs to be replaced with white balsamic
vinegar and some white pepper.

STEP ONE:



Chop the onion and fry in a T. of oil (I used
grapeseed).  Add 2 T. of white balsamic vinegar
and 1/2 tsp. white pepper. Stir on highish heat for
a few minutes.



Cut the tomatoes into quarters and add to the pan.
Cook for a few more minutes.



Chop the asparagus including the stems (to one
inch from the bottom) and add to pan with a few
leaves of chopped basil.  Cook for
a few minutes.



Cut the kernels off the ear of corn and
add to the pan. Stir and cook for a few
more minutes. Keep the vegetables brightly
colored with some crunch, throw in a
generous pinch of sea salt and serve with
chopped coriander on top.  Serves 3-4.

This is a great, healthy side dish for practically
anything. Experiment with whatever vegetables
you have on hand. Vinegar is such a great
ingredient for bringing out the natural
flavors of your food. I'm so glad I didn't
hide them with that heavy black bean sauce.
Try it!

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!