creamy Tahini roasted eggplant and quinoa salad

     It has been WAY too long since I was able to post. I've been such a busy girl! Between a full time job and selling my gluten free/dairy free eats through Umi Kitchen I haven't had too much spare time to do photo shoots and write.

     That being said, I've created some new dishes that have very quickly become my favorites - and this is one of them. It has been a huge hit with people throughout Brooklyn who have ordered from me and now I'm sharing it with all of you so you can make it at home if you aren't in the Brooklyn area!

     This salad is hearty enough to satisfy during the colder months while also being refreshing enough to enjoy in the warmer months. It's great as a side dish or as a main meal! Because it is served chilled it is perfect for spring and summer picnics. I promise it's a crowd pleaser.

Not to mention quinoa has a lot of health benefits...it's gluten free, technically even grain free because it is actually a seed, and is full of all sorts of nutrients! It's quite fascinating, really. Check out this article from well-beingsecrets.com for more fun health facts about quinoa!

     And an added bonus? It keeps well in the fridge for days so you can always make yourself a big batch and have a little every day with your lunch or dinner. Hell...even breakfast. I bet it would be great with an egg on top. If you do decide to give that a go let me know how it is in the comments below!

Creamy Roasted Eggplant and Quinoa Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: makes about 2 1/2-3 cups

You Will Need:

• 1 medium eggplant, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus for heavy drizzling (for eggplant)
• 2 TBS red wine vinegar
• 2 TBS tahini
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• heaping 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread eggplant out onto a baking sheet. Heavily drizzle eggplant with olive oil and toss with your hands to coat (work fast as eggplant soaks up oil really fast!). Spread back out into a single layer and liberally sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
2. While eggplant is cooking, combine quinoa with 2 cups water and a couple pinches of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook until all water has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, covered. Fluff with a fork.
3. Also while eggplant and quinoa are cooking, make tahini vinaigrette to dress the salad with. Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, tahini, sea salt, and turmeric in a small bowl and whisk until throughly combined.
4. Once eggplant and quinoa are both cooked, combine eggplant, quinoa, tahini vinaigrette, and parsley and toss until throughly combined and coated with vinaigrette throughout.
5. Chill for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!