Za’atar Spiced Veggie Bowl
When I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey a few years ago, I brought back every spice I can get my hands on. To this day, I’m still using all of them. One of my favorite by far, is the za’atar. It adds a punch of smoky yet spicy flavor to any protein or vegetable and that’s why I love it so much. The familiar flavors bring me so much comfort and that's why I love making this specific dish.
You can add or subtract the ingredients to your liking but what I like most about this combo is the vegetables that are baked but still have some crunch and the freshness from the zesty yogurt. I like to either pomegranate seeds or raisins to mine but because I eat this dish so much, I ran out. Give this easy lunch or dinner recipe a try and you'll love it. It lasts a few days in the fridge so it's a gray on the go lunch dish. Wrap it up in a collard green or a whole wheat wrap for a different variation as well. Enjoy!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 cups yogurt (vegan or regular)
1 large English Cucumber- cubed
4 carrots- julienned
1 large sweet potato- cut into small cubes
One red onion- thinly sliced
1 cup of fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
2 lemons- juice one and slice one
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp of za’atar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon pepper
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put one cup of quinoa to boil (follow specific package instruction). Usually 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water.
Cut carrots, potato, onions and cucumber finely mince garlic. Place everything in a big bowl but save cucumber.
Add olive oil, all spices, salt and pepper and toss to make sure everything is evenly coated.
Line baking sheet with foil. Place veggies on baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Halfway through, mix the veggies and cook for another 10 minutes.
To Make Yogurt Dressing:
Add two cups of yogurt, juice of one whole lemon, chopped parsley, generous amount of pepper, pinch of salt and mix until very creamy.
In a bowl, combine your cooked quinoa on one side, veggie mixture on the other (top with extra parsley), and add the cubed cucumber. Add your desired amount of yogurt dressing with a lemon wedge for an extra hint of freshness and munch away!
This recipe is super easy, quick, affordable and a great way to get your vegetable's for the day! Enjoy xx
Follow Eva on @evapiggy on Instagram.
Illustration by Beth Sworobuk
