I love grilled vegetables, especially in the summer. You can eat them as a side, add them to a pasta dish, put them in a fajita, mix them with rice, or in this case make a very healthy and inexpensive light summer meal with quinoa.

Quinoa is new to me but I have fallen in love with it. The texture is hard to describe but it’s very hearty. Much like rice, quinoa is incredibly versatile so the possibilities are endless. I think it’s fun to try something new once in a while. It’s a bonus when you like it, and a double bonus when it’s good for you too! 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
-1 eggplant
-1 red pepper
-1 red onion
-2 zucchini
-1 bunch asparagus
-Olive oil or some kind of marinade. I had leftover chimichurri sauce. You can use balsamic vinegar, add fresh herbs and chopped garlic to oil, whatever you like or have on hand.
-1 cup quinoa
-Salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS
-Slice all your veggies and lay them out on a tray. Brush the marinade on both sides of each veggie.
-Add salt & pepper.
-Cook quinoa as instructed on package. (Optional: for more flavor cook in chicken broth and add your favorite herbs)
-Place veggies on hot grill. Cook on both sides for 3 minutes or so. It depends how thick you cut them.

Take veggies off the grill when they are cooked to your liking.

-Cut your veggies up into bite sized pieces, toss in a large bowl and top with your choice of cheese.

This night we had fresh mozzarella so we cut it up and mixed it in. When I took the leftovers to work the next day, I topped it with gorgonzola and heated it up in the microwave- deelish! I imagine feta or parmesan would be great too. Overall, this is a healthy meal you can throw together pretty quick and the leftovers are great. It won’t break the bank or your calorie intake for the day so I recommend you try your own version. Enjoy!