Eggplant and Zucchini with Quinoa and Peppers

Lately I’ve been on a kick with making Veggie, or Eggplant Towers. Don’t ask me why, it just came to me. I used to make them when I worked in Banquets a few years back, but I lacked the level of inspiration I have now. Inspiration led me to add Quinoa and Daiya Mozzerella style Cheese. Try these with your favorite Salad, or serve them as the vegetable side with an entree like Orange Glazed Tofu, or Southwest Tofu Sticks (Recipe is coming, I promise).

Eggplant and Zucchini Towers with Quinoa
Serves 4
Vegetables are roasted and piled together with quinoa and Daiya cheese to make fabulous Eggplant towers that can be used as entrees or appetizers.
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Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
  2. 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  3. 1 Zucchini, sliced and roasted
  4. 1 Yellow squash, sliced and roasted
  5. 2 Eggplant, sliced and roasted
  6. 2 Red pepper roasted, peeled and cut into strips
  7. 2 Green pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into strips
  8. 2 poblano/pasilla pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into strips
  9. 1 package Daiya mozzerella style cheese
  10. Salt
  11. Smoked paprika
How to cook the quinoa
  1. Rinse and drain 1/4 cup Quinoa. Bring to a boil 1/2 cup water. Add the quinoa, cook until quinoa opens up and is a bit sticky, about 15 minutes. (It's good if it's like sushi rice). Add a little salt and smoked paprika to the quinoa.
  2. Pre-heat oven on Broil.
Prepare all the vegetables
  1. Cut the vegetables 1/2 an inch thick. Cut the squash in half, then slice the long way. I usually get three slices per squash half. Cut the eggplant horizontally. I usually get 4 to 6 slices from the eggplant.
  2. Coat the vegetables with a little olive oil and season with salt.
  3. Assemble onto a baking tray (sheet pan).
  4. Roast until the peppers blister, the squash looks squishy, and the eggplant takes on a little brown color. It might be necessary to remove each vegetable type separately.
  5. Cool the ingredients down.
How to stack the towers
  1. Use eggplant as the base, then quinoa, then peppers, then the zucchini. I use two slices of eggplants with the squash in the middle.
  2. Add the mozzarella style cheese on the layer above the zucchini, and then put some on top of the last eggplant to give it that "broiled" look.
  3. Cook in the broiler for 5-7 minutes, or until the "cheese" browns.
Notes
  1. Serve with a red pepper couli, or butternut squash puree.
Kitchen Shaman http://www.kitchenshaman.com/