Hummus and broccoli bowl

You'd never think of eating steamed broccoli and hummus together over a bowl of quinoa would you?   The idea was from But I Could Never Go Vegan!, and modified slightly to my own taste. The garlicy flavor is simple and tasty, and this bowl will give you high energy and protein without excess fat or unhealthy carbs. A great lunch to pack on the go or a quick and simple dinner.

Ingredients:

Garlic hummus, bought or homemade

1 large bunch of fresh broccoli

olive oil spray

4 large shallot bulbs

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of dried parsley

(all herbs are optional, if you don't have them used a mixed seasoning such as Trader Joe's 21 season salute)

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups of cooked quinoa (any color, I love the tricolor quinoa from Trader Joe's)

tablespoon of lemon juice (optional)

garlic powder (optional)

coconut oil (optional)


Directions:

To cook quinoa, put about 1 ½ cups in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, checking often to make sure water doesn't all evaporate.

You can leave quinoa plain (a better idea if you're adding all the herbs and flavors to the broccoli), or add a little flavor with some coconut oil (to make it taste buttery) with garlic powder, a little salt and a tablespoon of lemon juice; good choice if you're leaving the broccoli plain.

Broccoli can be made 2 ways:

Baked: As original recipe calls for, broccoli can be baked in the oven (set to 425 degrees) on a baking sheet with olive oil, shallots, and seasoning for 20 minutes (flipped halfway).

Steamed:  This is how I always make mine because I feel the broccoli keeps more of its nutrients and tastes so fresh. Broccoli can be cooked faster in a steamer basket in a pot of a ½ of boiling water until soft but will not absorb the flavors and seasonings as if roasted. This method if best if you choose to leave broccoli plain or just with a sprinkle of seasonings on top.

Layer each serving bowl with quinoa, broccoli "trees" (as I've always called them), and top with hummus. Enjoy!