Quinoa With Roasted Parsnips, Carrots and Onions…and a Green Tahini Sauce!
I don’t know about you all, but I get tired of the same ole’ side dishes on my plate. Even as a party of one, cooking for myself at home. While I love sweet potatoes, sauteed kale and spinach, or a little brown rice, I will admit, it gets old, and I want to find something new that I can make a relatively large batch of to have with my chicken and fish. 
I found this recipe on FeedMePhoebe.com and made a few changes to it. It is really delicious and is also vegan and gluten-free, for those who need to follow specific dietary requirements.
Parsnips are not something I regularly cook with. They are a relative of the carrot and parsley family and are only 100 calories per cup. Parsnips are also packed with potassium and folate, two nutrients that are very important for heart health. Potassium helps protects you from high blood pressure, while folate helps lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
The green tahini was a new thing for me as well. The sauce is delicious and creamy. Tahini, for those who don’t know, is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s extremely versatile and can be used in cooking sweet and savory dishes. Even better, it’s packed with essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron. It is also one of the best sources of calcium out there…another non-dairy calcium source for the books!
I am not trying to bore you with the nutrition facts, but this is all the more reason to make this dish tonight and eat it! It also keeps really well in the refrigerator and tastes delicious with chicken or fish.
Red Quinoa With Roasted Parsnips, Carrots and Onions
1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 medium carrots ( I used red organic ones), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 cup red quinoa
Green Tahini Dressing (see below)
Instructions for Making the Quinoa
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, toss the onions, carrots, and parsnips with the olive oil and salt until evenly coated. Arrange in an even layer and top with lemon pepper. Roast the vegetables in the oven until golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes, redistributing once.
- Meanwhile, bring the quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Season with salt and lemon pepper.
- Add the roasted vegetables to the pot and toss until combined with the quinoa. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the green tahini dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature alongside the remaining tahini dressing.
