Growing-up, we were the house with a snack drawer. When my friends came over, they knew right where to go for that endless supply of brownies, rice krispy treats and Keebler fudge stripped cookies (those were my favorite).
A typical Saturday afternoon usually involved baking with my sister.
When it came to picking-out breakfast, we had a pantry full of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles.
But here’s the thing: I would shift through all the half-eaten cereal boxes and would search for my favorite: a box of Great Grains. At the age of 12. What kid hopes for Great Grains?!
I liked sweets and desserts but never went too crazy over them. I would open the “snack drawer” and if I didn’t find anything that looked good, close it again empty-handed. I usually preferred seconds (or thirds) of a good meal over dessert.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved my hot pockets and DQ blizzards (and still appreciate a good piece of chocolate cake), but even then some of my favorite foods were broccoli and tomatoes.
I’m not sure where I came from either.
Sure, my favorite way to eat broccoli may have been breaded and fried, but I would pass the turkey, gravy and cheesy potatoes on Thanksgiving just to fill-up on extra broccoli.
Even though the way I eat broccoli and tomatoes may look a bit different in my late-20′s than my early teens, it’s still a food I look forward to eating all the time. Here’s my new favorite version of these childhood favorites.
Roasted Broccoli and Tomato Quinoa
Adapted from Design Sponge
Keywords: roast entree salad side vegetarian broccoli quinoa tomato beans
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli florets
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place broccoli on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli and sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Place in oven and cook for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. In a medium-sized pot, combine the quinoa and stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let the quinoa cook until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
4. Toss cooked quinoa with roasted broccolini, crumbled feta cheese, chickpeas and cherry tomatoes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
~What were some of your favorite foods growing up?
