Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowls with Peanut Sauce

I stand by my statement that every recipe that Annie's Eats posts in her Let's Do Lunch series is amazing.  Every time she posts one, I get excited, because they are always healthy, filling, and delicious.  This recipe is no exception!  Onions, peppers, eggplant, and snow peas get roasted to bring out their natural sweetness, and then they are mixed with nutty quinoa and the most delicious peanut sauce.  You end up with a huge (6 - 8 serving!) bowl of exquisite, protein-packed lunch!

I actually made it for dinner, rather than lunch - since it's vacation week and I don't have to pack lunches! But this is definitely the perfect make-ahead lunch.  It reheats really well in the microwave, and it's also just fine served as a cold salad (although personally I prefer it hot).

I got my mom to eat it (albeit on top of white rice), and even though she isn't a quinoa fan, she said it was very good, and especially loved the peanut sauce.  I agree that you could just make the sauce and throw it on anything and call it dinner.  Kenzie really liked it too, and so did Maggie, who was happy to see that it's a gluten free option for her!  Personally, I thought the eggplant was the best part (not surprising since I am newly obsessed with it).  It gets so juicy and sweet and... I think I need to go have another serving for lunch!  This will definitely be a recipe that I make again when I get back to needing to pack lunches for work... but let's not think about that  yet!

Recipe:

roasted veggie quinoa bowls with peanut sauce
from Annie's Eats
yield 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 small onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
6 ounces snow peas
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup uncooked quinoa

for the peanut sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1) In a medium bowl, combine the cubed eggplant and the salt; toss well to combine .  Transfer to a colander in the sink and let sit 30 minutes to draw water out of the eggplant.  Transfer to a plate lined with clean kitchen towels or paper towels and press out as much excess water as you can.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  On the baking sheet, combine the drained eggplant, onion, bell peppers, and snow peas.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during baking.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

3) While the vegetables are roasting, rinse the quinoa well and drain in a fine mesh sieve.  Cook according to package directions.  When the quinoa is cooked and has cooled slightly, combine in a large mixing bowl with the vegetables.

4) To make the peanut sauce, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, and peanut butter in a bowl or measuring cup.  Whisk to blend until smooth.  Add in the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and whisk once more until smooth.  Add the peanut sauce to the bowl with the quinoa and veggies.  Gently fold together until everything is evenly combined.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.