Vegetable Quinoa with a Maple Lemon Vinaigrette

This Vegetable Quinoa with Maple Lemon Vinaigrette is truly one of Todd and my favorite dishes. It's hearty, healthy and it's the perfect blend of flavors thanks to the sweetness from the maple syrup, the saltiness of the miso paste and the sourness from the lemon juice and the vinegar. I love everything about it and I am so happy to finally share one of my all-time, most beloved dishes!

I really enjoy TruRoots Organic Sprouted Bean Trio, which is a mix of dry, quick-cooking lentils, adzuki, and mung beans. I get mine from Costco, but you could use any bean(s) you like! If however, you have an aversion to beans, then just double the quinoa and it's water and ignore the beans and their respected water.

Vegetable Quinoa with a Maple Lemon Vinaigrette

Inspired by Iowa Girl Eats

Serves 6

• -- For the Quinoa and Beans --
• 2 cups water (for the quinoa)
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 3 cups water (for the beans)
• 1 cup dry TruRoots Sprouted Bean Trio (or double quinoa)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium zucchinis, chopped
• 4 ears of cooked corn , kernels cut off the cob (about 3 cups frozen/fresh)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly
• small handful of fresh basil, chopped finely
• -- For the Maple Lemon Vinaigrette --
• fresh juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. miso paste
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

To start, bring the 2 cups of water and 1 cup dry quinoa together to a boil. Make sure to rinse the quinoa first! Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. When done cooking, fluff with a fork.  At the same time bring the 3 cups of water and 1 cup sprouted bean trio together to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes are up, allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes and then drain.

While the quinoa and beans cook, begin by preparing the vegetables. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil, then add the garlic, zucchini and corn. Saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.

While the zucchini is cooking, whip up the vinaigrette. It's very easy. Simply whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl! Oh and please, for the love of good food, use fresh lemon juice...from like, a real lemon. Just trust me!

You can't really tell in the photo below but that lemon was just thawed from being in the freezer. That's right! If you've got a lemon that's on it's way but you're not ready to use it, just freeze it. When you need lemon juice, just soak it in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes and then squeeze away. I wouldn't do it if I needed lemon slices though, but for lemon juice it's perfect!

Once the zucchini mixture is done cooking, turn off the heat and add in the cooked quinoa, cooked beans, tomatoes, basil and green onions. Then add in the vinaigrette and mix well to combine. Serve warm.

It was a rainy day here in Alaska indeed. A perfect day for a warm and wholesome quinoa and bean salad!

Last night for dinner we had my Sweet Potato Mac and "Cheese" and it was sooo good! Rainy day comfort food is the best food.

Vegetable Quinoa with a Maple Lemon Vinaigrette

Recipe Type: Entree

Author: Katie - Produce On Parade

Serves: 6

This Vegetable Quinoa with Maple Lemon Vinaigrette is hearty, healthy and it's the perfect blend of flavors thanks to the sweetness from the maple syrup, the saltiness of the miso paste and the sourness from the lemon juice and the vinegar.

Ingredients

• -- For the Quinoa and Beans --
• 2 cups water (for the quinoa)
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 3 cups water (for the beans)
• 1 cup dry TruRoots Sprouted Bean Trio (or double quinoa)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium zucchinis, chopped
• 4 ears of cooked corn , kernels cut off the cob (about 3 cups frozen/fresh)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly
• small handful of fresh basil, chopped finely
• -- For the Maple Lemon Vinaigrette --
• fresh juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. miso paste
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring the 2 cups of water and 1 cup dry quinoa together to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. When done cooking, fluff with a fork. At the same time bring the 3 cups of water and 1 cup sprouted bean trio together to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes are up, allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes and then drain.
2. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil, then add the garlic, zucchini and corn. Saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.
3. While the zucchini is cooking, whip up the vinaigrette. Simply whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl!
4. Once the zucchini mixture is done cooking, turn off the heat and add in the cooked quinoa, cooked beans, tomatoes, basil and green onions. Then add in the vinaigrette and mix well to combine.
5. Serve warm.

3.2.1255

Lemon Blueberry Oat Muffins

What's better than warm and toasty blueberry muffins? Lemon blueberry muffins. Seriously, if blueberry muffins have been made sans lemon, someone's missed the point. So, what's better than scrumptious lemon blueberry muffins? At first glance you might shout, "Nothing! Obvs." but let me assure you that these lemon blueberry muffins flecked with oats and hints of hazelnut...are of a higher order.

These little vegan darlings are tart (like me)! Just how I like them. If, however, a sweeter muffin is desired, scale back the lemon juice or replace it with orange juice and/or add additional sugar. However, I think you'll find that the sweetness the blueberries lend make the perfect mouth-watering combination of sweet and sour.

These are the perfect to-go snack, breakfast or even a light dessert. They also stood up to conventional muffins (made with milk, eggs, and butter), and I received many compliments from unassuming non-veganites. I'm secretly creating unknowing vegans, one muffin at a time. I'm like a vegan superhero with yummy muffins as my weapons, protecting the dairy cows and chickens! Okay, that got weird and doesn't make much sense...thankfully these muffins do though.

Lemon Blueberry Oat Muffins

Inspired by Vegan Yumminess

Makes 12 muffins

• 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp. ground flax seed & 2 1/2 Tbsp. cold water)
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup erythritol (or additional sugar/sugar substitute)
• juice from 1 lemon (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup hazelnut milk (or other dairy-free milk)
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp. hazelnut kahlua (or vanilla extract/other liqueur)
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (optional)
• 3/4 cup blueberries
• brown sugar for sprinkling

The first thing on the agenda is to make the flax egg. Place 1 Tbsp. of ground flax in a small bowl and slowly whisk in 2 1/2 Tbsp. of cold water. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow it to gel. Meanwhile, spray a muffin pan with cooking spray or insert paper liners and preheat the oven to 400 F.

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="574,575"]

Soften the margarine and add it to a large mixing bowl. Next, add the ingredients only through and including the salt and mix thoroughly. Add the flax egg and mix to combine.

In a separate, large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients excluding blueberries, hazelnuts and brown sugar. Next, add the dry ingredients slowly to wet ingredients and mix until just combined, adding the blueberries and the hazelnuts afterward.

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="572,573"]

Divide the yummilicious batter equally into the muffin pan.  Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar and bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes or until edges become golden. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack. They should be stored in the refrigerator, if you have any leftover.

Oh you tart little muffins. You are so yummy and refreshing. A perfect spring snack.