Quinoa Caviar

I made this recipe at the beginning of December. I just had to try it with a name like "Caviar"!! I found this recipe on Yahoo! Shine; the benefits of quinoa was one of their headliners that day: see Quinoa Caviar. It turned out pretty well, although using the blender for the eggplant mixture was a pain. I recommend using a food processor! It may not look it, but it was very tasty! And good for you too!!

Serves 4
7 WeightWatchers PointsPlus per serving

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1/2 cup cilantro, or any other fresh herb, minced (I made the mistake of using Italian parsley)
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce OR 1 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 medium onion, minced
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Step 1: Roast the egg plant - cut off ends and peel. Cut in half lengthwise drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and bake at 400F until white flesh is lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes.

While eggplant is roasting:
Step 2: Saute onions in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft.
Step 3: Stir in quinoa and cook, stirring, for about 1 minutes.
Step 4: Add chicken broth and salt, bring to a boil.
Step 5: Cover pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Remove pot from heat and let stand for 10 minutes; remove lid, let cool, and fluff with fork.

Once eggplant is done:
Step 7: Puree eggplant with herbs, soy sauce/miso paste, and lemon juice.
Step 8: Add eggplant puree to quinoa.
Step 9: Add hot sauce and any extra seasoning desired. Garnish with remaining herbs.

Recipe times: Prep - 10 minutes; Cook - 45 minutes
My times: Prep - 20 minutes; Cook - 35 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes 

Ingredients

Step 1

Step 3

Eggplant roasting done

Step 7