I’ve been eating this dish pretty regularly and swapping out certain ingredients to mix it up as needed. I always have some avocado, tomato, cilantro and some sort of green as a base. On top, I add roasted veggies, a BBQ’d protein source, a grain or seed such as quinoa, and hummus on top. The original recipe for this used a ranch hummus, BBQ chickpeas, polenta, roasted asparagus, tomato, avocado, spinach, and cilantro. I started off with this recipe then I’ve been swapping out ingredients and adding things to it. I’ve used roasted butternut squash as my veggie and spaghetti squash instead of quinoa, for example. The possibilities are endless and therefore this dish doesn’t get old easily.
I also love how many different healthy ingredients are in it. I’ll typically make this on the weekend then eat leftovers throughout the week. When I have all of the individual components already prepared, it makes it much easier to assemble meals quickly. Did I mention this is nutritious? It’s been perfect as a meal before and after long runs. Today I ran 9 miles with a slightly sore hamstring from my race. My run was great otherwise and I like to think it’s because of this meal!
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
- 5-6 medium-sized red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 large white onion, diced
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 ear of corn
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups of greens (spinach and/or arugula work well)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 avocado, cut into thin slices
- hummus
- cilantro for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine asparagus, potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil and salt & pepper in a roasting pan.
3. Roast vegetables in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Cook corn on the stove in a pot with a few inches of water for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat. Cut corn kernels from the cob and add to cooked quinoa.
5. Add the barbecue sauce and cajun seasoning to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Once heated, add chickpeas and cook for 5-10 minutes.
6. To assemble, place a 1/2 cup of greens in each bowl or plate. Top each evenly with the roasted veggies, quinoa & corn, chickpea mixture, tomatoes, green bell pepper, avocado slices, a dollop of hummus, and cilantro for garnish.
7. Enjoy!
Yields 4 salads
Adapted from: Half Baked Harvest
This week’s salad consists of spring mix, spinach, orange tomatoes, matchstick carrots, roasted potatoes in a curry seasoning, chickpeas simmered with corn and bbq sauce, lightly fried polenta, asparagus, butternut squash, and roasted red pepper hummus. I made lots this weekend and ended up sharing most of it with friends on my back patio. It only took me an hour to make everything so I might be getting faster at cooking. All of my recent salads were inspired by this awesome post and I just keep modifying however I want. Last night, my friends brought over Earth Balance mac & cheese and it was a great addition (not pictured because it didn’t last long..!). I grew up on Kraft mac & cheese and the Earth Balance kind is just as perfect minus the dairy. And by perfect, I mean 0% nutrition, 100% comfort food.
V is for Vegetables 