Summer cravings for a good quinoa couscous with vegetables, served warm or cold with peppers, eggplant, confit cherry tomatoes and lots of aromatic herbs.
Couscous is very simple to prepare; in this case using quinoa: cook it by absorption and then mix it with seasonal vegetables.
As I have often repeated, quinoa contains all the essential amino acids, is gluten-free, has a glycemic index of 53 (therefore low), contains calcium and antioxidants, fiber and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. 100 g (3.5 oz) of quinoa provide 14.7 g (0.5 oz) of protein.
But that’s not all: quinoa is filling, provides energy, improves metabolism and helps control type 2 diabetes.
Don’t miss my Facebook page HERE and my Instagram page HERE
See you soon
Daniela
If you’re interested in other couscous recipes, I’ll leave you a few; you’ll find many more on the blog.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients for quinoa couscous and vegetables
For 4 servings. I added dried aromatic herbs; of course if fresh herbs are in season it’s even better—add fresh chopped basil, thyme, marjoram.
- 3/4 cup quinoa (Italian)
- 1 cup water
- 10 cherry tomatoes (confit)
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 eggplant
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp tbsp tomato passata
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 pinch unrefined sea salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (organic)
- 1 tbsp whole cane sugar
Tools
I serve the quinoa couscous with vegetables in a tagine, although I cook the quinoa in a small pot by absorption.
- 1 Tagine
Steps for quinoa couscous and vegetables
First, wash the confit cherry tomatoes. (Make extra as you can serve them on bruschetta the next day.) Pat them a little dry and cut them in half. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with whole cane sugar, mixed aromatic herbs, salt, pepper and a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well and place them in the air fryer with the cut side up.
Cook for 10 minutes at 320°F, then 5 minutes at 356°F and another 5 minutes at 392°F. (If you don’t have an air fryer, prepare the confit cherry tomatoes using the traditional oven method.)
Wash the eggplant, cut into round slices, sprinkle lightly with salt and let them release water for 10 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Wash and cut the bell pepper into pieces and place it next to the eggplant. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and roast for 30 minutes in the oven at 356°F.
Rinse the quinoa very well using a fine-mesh strainer to remove the saponin. Put it in a small pot, add 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat, let it sit for a few minutes to swell, then pour into a large bowl and let it cool slightly.
In the bowl with the quinoa add about ten confit cherry tomatoes, the roasted bell pepper, the cooked eggplant cut into small pieces, the tomato passata, the aromatic herbs, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, and serve warm or cold.
Enable push notifications to receive my recipes for free on your smartphone; you’ll find the form at the top right.
If you enjoyed the recipe, share it on your profile and invite your friends to visit my blog. For updates, become a fan of my page.For any information, do not hesitate to contact me on my Facebook Timo e lenticchie page — you can interact and ask me any question. Or join my group.
Follow me also on Instagram, Pinterest or YouTube or subscribe to the Telegram channel.
If you want to return to the HOME PAGE for more ideas among my recipes.
If you want to know more about me read who I am.
To always stay updated on my recipes subscribe to the newsletter.
Tips and storage
Of course, change the vegetables according to the season. You can store the quinoa couscous with vegetables for a couple of days tightly covered in the refrigerator.
