Such an easy and delicious dish, perfect for a weeknight dinner or quick lunch. It brings you all the flavors of the Mediterranean with a medley of fresh herbs and veggies. The heart of a bowl is always the dressing and the pesto takes this one to the next level. I’ve been working on a vegan and nut free pesto for a long time and I finally got it perfected. Try and you will love! Also goes amazing with any other veggie or pasta dish.
Serves two.
Ingredients: (preferably organic)
For the bowl
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 2 zucchini, cut into half-moons
- 1 eggplant, cut into cubes
- 2 sprigs of cherry tomatoes
- a handful of Kalamata olives
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- fresh thyme
- salt, to taste
- fresh basil
For the pesto
- 2 cups basil
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast or VioLife vegan parmesan
- ½ lemon, squeezed
- salt, to taste
Directions:
01. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place all the chopped veggies and olives on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and season with olive oil, salt and fresh thyme. Bake for 40 minutes or until charred to your liking.
02. Place all the ingredients for the pesto in a high speed blender and blend. Be careful not to overblend, it should still have a little texture.
03. Assemble the quinoa and baked vegetables in a bowl, sprinkle with pesto and garnish with fresh basil. Bon appétit!
