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!