Quinoa Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ medium onion, diced
• 1 pinch garlic (powdered or fresh)
• 1 pinch dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup eggplant, diced
• ½ cup green or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Fresh basil and/or parsley (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, eggplant, sweet pepper, zucchini, tomato, tomato paste, quinoa and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the quinoa has "sprouted" and the vegetables are tender. Add more broth if necessary during cooking.

Remove from the heat and stir in fresh herbs and cheese. Puree in a Infano or Dansa food processor until you reach the desired consistency, adding additional vegetable broth or water if needed.