Anyone who loves to shop knows that a mix and match four for one is a great deal! Well, that applies to food as well! Today I bring you a bit of a complicated series of recipes. We will start with four base recipes, then I will offer you some ideas for combining them!
Roasted Garlic Quinoa
To make this, you will need garlic, white or yellow onion, vegetable broth, quinoa, dried thyme, a bay leaf, dried parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. This part is actually pretty simple. Cook the quinoa as you normally would. Add the bay leaf while cooking. Roast the garlic in the oven at 400 degrees until brown. Cook the onion in a saucepan. Mix together the quinoa, roasted garlic, and a splash of vegetable broth. Season with the dried thyme and dried parsley.
Cumin Beans
For the beans you will need black beans and pinto beans. I opted for dry black beans and canned pintos, only because that’s what we had in the pantry. If you are using dry beans, you’ll need to soak them overnight and simmer them for at least a half-hour.
For this recipe, you will also need a yellow onion, carrots, garlic, cumin, vegetable broth, oregano, and salt and pepper. In a saucepan, cook the chopped carrots, onion, and garlic. Add a splash of vegetable broth, the cumin, and the oregano. Once the beans are done cooking, mix them in with the carrot/onion/garlic mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
The options for this are endless!!! Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini squash, yellow squash, parsnips, turnips, brussels sprouts, onions, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, carrots, sugar snap peas, and bell peppers are all great options! I opted for little redskin potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, brussels sprouts, red onion, broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers. I steamed the vegetables first, in order to soften them up. Since some vegetables steam faster than others, I put the zucchini and squash in with the brussels sprouts and carrots. Once those were done, I steamed the onion, broccoli, and bell peppers. I roasted the potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour.
Once all the vegetables were cooked, I mixed them together with the potatoes. For the Balsamic coating, mix together balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and vegetable broth. Whisk this together and coat the vegetable/potato mix. Put the mix in the oven at 400 degrees to roast until they start to brown.
Herbed Tahini Sauce
Our last base recipe is the tahini sauce. Tahini is basically pulverized sesame seeds. Mr. FBBQ had to go buy me tahini because I forgot to get it when I went shopping for this epic post! He is such a good husband!! This sauce was super easy to make! In a food processor, combine the tahini, a can of chickpeas, white wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Add some plant-based milk (I opted for almond milk because that’s what I use in my cereal) and some dried parsley, basil, and thyme. You can also add some chopped chives. Blend it together until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper if you wish.
The Mix and Match
The Quinoa and The Veggies
Now that we are done with our base recipes, it’s time to mix and match! Our first combo is the Quinoa with the Veggies! Use the Quinoa as your base and top with the Veggies. You can add soy sauce if you want, or a mixture of soy sauce, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar will add some flavor!
The Beans and The Tahini Sauce
Another great option is Mango-Pineapple Bean Bowls! Using fresh kale, top with the Beans, chopped mango, chopped pineapple, and some lime zest. Top with the Tahini Sauce.
The Quinoa and The Beans
How about Bean Bowls with Citrus Salsa??? Chop up an orange, a grapefruit, a blood orange, some scallions, and cilantro. Add some lime juice and voila, you have a citrus salsa. Use the Quinoa as the base, top with the Beans, and top that with the citrus salsa!
The Beans and The Veggies
Top a tortilla (or a Naan) with the Veggies and the Beans, along with some chopped tomatoes and some corn. Squirt a little lime juice on there and enjoy!
These are just some of the many combos you can make with these delicious recipes!! Let me know what you come up with and what you think!!!!