4 out of "5 a day" ain't bad

Quinoa, isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you have a hangover. The hangover comes courtesy of Jules rockin' birthday party last night. As you can see in the photos above there was a little bit of drinking going on.
But when you wake up at noon and look in your cupboard to find a whole lot of nothing you quickly accept your reality and make the best of it. I rooted through my fridge and grabbed whatever vegetables I had, which were some cherry tomatoes, an eggplant a stalk of celery and a carrot. In my opinion roasting is by far the best tasting way to cook vegetables. This dish tastes quite rich. The eggplant becomes almost buttery and the quinoa adds a creamy nutty flavor.

Serves 2

olive oil
1 eggplant cut into 3/4" cubes
1/2 a pint of cherry tomatoes
3 tbs chopped shallots
2 pieces crushed garlic
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup of water

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl toss tomatoes and eggplant in a liberal amount of olive and season with salt (at your discretion). Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.

Add some olive oil to a pot and sauté the shallots for a couple of minutes, then add garlic, carrots, celery, 1 tsp of salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Cook for about three minutes. Stir in quinoa and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding water. Add water, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until all water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. When done, the quinoa appears translucent and the germ ring will be visible.

Quinoa is rich in Amino acids (protein), and the protein it supplies is a complete protein. Most grains need to be paired with beans in order to form a complete protein. Although quinoa is technically not a grain, it's a seed, it can be used a substitute in pretty much any recipe that calls for grains. It's also a good source of magnesium, calcium and iron.